He Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City was the scene, this Tuesday, of one of the most emotional images of the World Cup 2026. Lionel Scaloni could not contain his emotion when he took Lionel Messi off the field, who had just scored the three goals in the Argentine victory. 3 to 0 against Algeriaon the first date of Group J.
To the 80 minutes of the second halfthe coach of the National Team decided to replace the captain with the young Nicolas Paz. At that moment, the entire stadium stood up to say goodbye to the man from Rosario, who minutes before had scored his third goal of the night. The cameras then captured Scaloni on the substitutes’ bench, visibly moved, holding back tears while listening to the clamor from the stands.
When Messi arrived at the bench, the coach stood up to welcome him with a big hug. The scene, which was not part of the official broadcast but was captured by other cameras present in the stadium, went viral on social media in a matter of minutes.
In the press conference after the game, Scaloni was asked about that moment and did not mince words: “I have no words. I greeted him, I gave him a kiss and told him that I loved him very much, because I no longer know what to say to him. Beyond the goals he scores, he is incredible for what he transmits. We will miss him the day he is no longer here. Let’s enjoy it, that is the most important thing.”
The coach also highlighted the historical dimension of the night. With his hat trick against Algeria, Messi reached the 16 scores in World Cupsequaling the record of the German Miroslav Klose as top scorer in the history of the tournament. “What I say is unnecessary. It’s incredible. It’s not that I could imagine something like that, but it’s something that has been done for twenty years. Football people now want to see it, not just the Argentinians. Beyond the result, you have to enjoy it because what it transmits to everyone is incredible.”Scaloni added.
Messi had also been emotional during the match, after scoring the first of his three goals. The captain himself explained that his reaction was linked to a personal situation unrelated to sports: “I spent some difficult days, but I am grateful to the entire delegation and my colleagues because they are always by my side, giving me strength.”
The image of Scaloni tearing up on the bench, amid the applause of Kansas City, remained one of the most emotional moments of the debut of the Argentine National Team in the 2026 World Cup.
