LUSAIL, QATAR
\nArgentina manager Lionel Scaloni said that he will keep Lionel Messi\u2019s jersey ready in case the talismanic captain wishes to play at the next World Cup after he ended the country\u2019s 36-year wait to hoist the golden trophy again.
\nOn a night of high drama, Messi scored two goals and again in the shootout as he led Argentina to an emotional 4-2 win on penalties over France on Sunday, with the match ending in a 3-3 draw following 120 minutes of breathtaking action.
\nAfter finally fulfilling a lifelong dream by lifting the ultimate prize in world soccer, many thought the 35-year-old Messi may never again come out wearing the famed blue and white stripes of Argentina. But within a few moments, Messi declared that he does not plan to retire from international duty in near future.
\nIt was a decision welcomed by his coach.
\n\u201cI think we should keep the number 10 jersey prepared for the next World Cup if he (Messi) feels like playing,\u201d Scaloni told a news conference.
\n\u201cHe earned the right to do whatever he wants with his career. What he transmits to his team mates is incredible. I have never seen such an influential person in the changing room.
\nScaloni said following last year\u2019s Copa America triumph, when they beat Brazil in the final, they started to feel unbeatable.
\n\u201cAfter (we beat) Brazil, I had a conversation with Messi… (and explained) we had a big task in-front of us, people from our country were starting to believe (in our World Cup chances), to hope, and pressure was rising,\u201d said Scaloni.
\n\u201cHe told me that \u2018We have to keep going, nothing else matters\u2019 and that gave me a tremendous emotional boost.
\n\u201cI realised that we were on the verge of (achieving) something (big).\u201d
\nWith the World Cup triumph coming just two years following the death of Diego Maradona, who had famously led Argentina to their last title in 1986, an emotional Scaloni said: \u201cI only now realise that Maradona is not with us anymore and that makes me think that he will be happy and proud of us from where he is.
\n\u201cIf he was here, he would have been the first fan to step in pitch to celebrate with us. I hope he has enjoyed what we accomplished.\u201d
\nHe also wept as it dawned on him what the win meant to the millions of people who had followed the team\u2019s journey from home, including his family and friends.
\n\u201cIt wasn\u2019t in my plans being world champion. It\u2019s madness,\u201d Scaloni said.
\n\u201cThat is no bigger pride of representing your country and I hope we made our fans proud.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LUSAIL, QATAR Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said that he will keep Lionel Messi\u2019s jersey ready in case the talismanic captain wishes to play at the next World Cup after he ended the country\u2019s 36-year wait to hoist the golden trophy again. On a night of high drama, Messi scored two goals and again in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":302318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-302289","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n