Two days after Spain snatched the World Cup from Argentina's grasp in extra time, Lionel Scaloni finally addressed the video that had consumed Argentine football since the final whistle: Lionel Messi's pre-match dressing-room address to his teammates, which spread rapidly online and fuelled theories about what went wrong in New Jersey.
Spain beat the defending champions 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium on July 19, with Ferran Torres converting the decisive goal in the 105th minute to hand La Roja their second World Cup title and first since 2010.
Footage circulating since the loss shows Messi gathering his teammates before kickoff, telling them, "Calm, let's stay calm, lads," and, "Let's forget about everything," as he tried to settle the squad's nerves. The clip's unusually tense tone set off speculation among fans and pundits back home about strain inside the camp.
Scaloni waved the theory away. "I don't see networks. I know nothing. I have no idea what you are telling me," he said, distancing himself from the online storm.
Pressed on suggestions of a rift inside the squad, he was equally blunt: "I can't believe what you are asking me. We are going another way, guys."
He was warmer about his players' effort in the final itself. "The important thing is that the boys gave their all, they showed character with this shirt, and let's keep that," he said.
The bigger question hanging over Argentine football is what comes next. Scaloni, who has led the team since 2018 and delivered the 2022 World Cup before this runners-up finish, confirmed only that his contract carries him through December. "Until December we are here," he said, without saying whether he intends to continue into World Cup qualifying beyond that.
He was similarly non-committal about Messi's future and that of goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez, both of whom have faced retirement questions for months. "After a tournament like this, with everything happening naturally, I think one starts to rethink things," Scaloni said, acknowledging the pair are likely weighing their own next steps.
The coach's composure gave way once he reached his hometown of Pujato, in Santa Fe province, where hundreds turned out to greet him. Visibly moved, he told the crowd: "We did not manage to win. We know that we play to make our people happy, and that is why the pain is great."
He credited Spain rather than looking for excuses. "Sometimes you win, and other times you lose. We have to admit that Spain played better, and that makes us better too," he said, as fans in the crowd chanted that Messi would not leave the national team.
Argentina are next scheduled to play friendlies in September and October — matches that could offer the first hints of whether Scaloni, Messi and Martínez intend to stay on for the next World Cup cycle, or whether Sunday's final in New Jersey was the last act for this generation.
