‘I am sure one of the big nations will win the World Cup,’ Scaloni says after Argentina’s victory

Argentina checked off their first major objective in their title-defense campaign at the 2026 World Cup, defeating Austria 2-0 behind a masterclass performance from Lionel Messi. The captain netted a brace to push his career total to 17 World Cup goals, officially surpassing Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in tournament history.

After locking up the top spot in the group and securing qualification to the next round, manager Lionel Scaloni spoke to the media and shared his thoughts on the field of contenders.

“There are a lot of national teams that can become world champions. There are at least seven or eight that are ready to compete,” Scaloni began during his post-match press conference. “The World Cup isn’t about favoritism; it’s about the psychological and physical aspects”.

The Argentine tactician went on to predict that one of soccer’s established powerhouses will ultimately lift the trophy in North America. “There are so many elite teams that I am sure one of the big nations will win the World Cup. We are going to be right there in that fight, but it’s going to be tough for everyone—both for them facing us, and for us facing them,” he added.

Scaloni breaks down Austria and draws parallels to Algeria match

Following the victory, Scaloni noted that Austria proved to be a difficult opponent boasting significant height and a highly physical style of play. While La Albiceleste faced moments of intense pressure, the manager praised his squad’s composure to see the game through.

“We suffered, but we know how to handle suffering. That’s a credit to this team, which knew exactly what to do,” Scaloni remarked. “They are a complicated opponent with a lot of height and physicality. I’m happy we qualified. It might have looked easy from the outside, but it wasn’t”.

The Argentine boss also drew comparisons between Austria and their opening-match opponent, Algeria, noting both teams’ ability to disrupt an opponent’s rhythm. “It was very similar, quite comparable. You are dealing with an opponent that has high-caliber players who feature for top clubs and know how to make life difficult for you,” Scaloni concluded.