Scaloni confirms Messi, Martinez stay with Argentina through December 2026 after Spain WC loss
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni addressed retirement speculation for captain Lionel Messi and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez after their World Cup final loss to Spain on Sunday, July 20, 2026. Speaking to TyC Sports (via GOAL), Scaloni said, 'After a tournament like this with normal things, I think one starts to rethink things. Until December, we are here. The most important thing about all this is how things happened. The people knew how to understand that the team gave everything, and then what happened later. The most important thing is always Argentina.'
Scaloni's comments directly address reports questioning Messi and Martinez's international futures following the defeat. For Nigerian football fans who closely follow these global stars, this provides clarity on their short-term commitment to La Albiceleste.
The coach emphasized that the focus remains on how the team conducted itself in the tournament, noting Argentinians understood the squad gave its maximum effort. With both players confirmed to remain available through at least December 2026, Nigerian supporters can anticipate seeing them in action for Argentina in upcoming fixtures despite the World Cup disappointment.