Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni was full of praise on Tuesday night following the spectacular farewell to his namesake, the “inimitable” Lionel Messi, whom he regards as the greatest footballer of all time.
“He is an inimitable footballer, and I don’t think we will ever see anything like him on a football pitch again,” Scaloni said at a press conference after Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Benin in a farewell match for their legendary left-footed star.
“I had never seen anything like this in anyone throughout my life. What he brings and what he makes people feel—I have never seen it in anyone else. We will find other tools, other solutions, but that feeling will never be the same.”
In his final appearance for Argentina, Messi produced one last reminder of his brilliance, scoring once and providing two assists to cap more than two decades of extraordinary service to the national team. More than 80,000 fans packed Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium to witness the emotional occasion.
“Eternal gratitude for everything he has given us, and for defending this shirt like no one else. For me, it has been a dream to coach him,” Scaloni added.
“I told him in front of everyone, with the little strength I had left to say it: I never imagined in my life that I would one day become the coach of the greatest footballer in history.”
Scaloni, who lifted the 2022 World Cup alongside the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, admitted he was already emotional before the match.
“Before the game, I was sad because a unique footballer is leaving us. He leaves behind an incredible legacy,” the Argentina boss said, visibly overcome with emotion and at times in tears, particularly during the national anthem.
“Now we have to carry on without him. It will be difficult. He himself said that what we have experienced over the past few years was not normal. But we are capable of facing it.
“The only way to make up for his departure is to build a great team in which everyone contributes their own little bit.”