Argentina‘s bid for back-to-back titles came up short on Sunday, falling to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. In the aftermath, Lionel Scaloni faced the media not with excuses, but with a message of gratitude toward the group that carried Argentina all the way to the final.
The manager, who has now led Argentina to a World Cup title and a runner-up finish in consecutive editions, chose to focus on the effort his players put in rather than dwell on the result itself.
“Sadness, but knowing that we left everything out there. I have a lot of things I could say about how we got here, but it’s not worth it. I’m grateful to these boys for what they did to get us this far. We’re great in victory, and we have to show that we’re great in defeat too,” Scaloni said.
Despite the disappointment of falling short of a second consecutive title, the coach was adamant that the run to the final shouldn’t be diminished by the way it ended, framing the campaign as something for the country to be proud of regardless of the scoreline.
Lionel Scaloni, Head Coach of Argentina, reacts after receiving the silver medal. (Getty Images)
“We lost, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop remembering everything we did to get here. If you leave everything out there like they did today, it’s a great example for our people, for the country. I do remember the runners-up, because it’s incredibly hard just to get this far. Obviously we would have liked to win, but that’s how it is. When you leave everything out there like that, it’s very hard to reproach anything,” he added.
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Scaloni addresses Enzo Fernandez’s red card
Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the closing stages of the final, first picking up a yellow card in the 82nd minute for complaining before receiving a second in the 90+2 for a hard challenge on Pau Cubarsi.
The ejection left Argentina to play the entirety of extra time with 10 men, a disadvantage that proved decisive when Ferran Torres scored the winner in the second period of extra time to give Spain a 1-0 victory.
Asked about the sending-off afterward, Scaloni didn’t hide his frustration with how it unfolded. “I think the referee could have avoided the first one. I was talking to him in some odd English of mine. I think there are things that could have been avoided. But that’s it, there are no complaints. We have to give credit to our rivals. I would have liked to see what would have happened if we’d stayed with 11,” Scaloni explained during the press conference.
Scaloni pays tribute to Messi
Asked about Messi’s place in the squad after his final World Cup appearance, Scaloni didn’t hold back in his praise for the captain. “He’s 39 years old, it’s an incredible thing. I was always clear that he was going to play for as long as he wanted to. I hope he’s proud of his teammates, I think he is. In my opinion, he’s the best footballer to ever step onto a football pitch,” the Argentina coach s.
