Scaloni Unfazed By Messi's Brilliance At 39
At 39, Messi continues to excel at the 2026 World Cup with eight goals, and Argentina coach Scaloni says his body functions like a machine and remains unsurprised by his elite performance. Messi shares the tournament's leading scorer positi
Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni says he is unsurprised that superstar Lionel Messi continues to perform excellently despite being 39 years old, describing his body as functioning like a machine.
Messi has maintained impressive form at the 2026 World Cup after scoring eight goals, sharing the tournament's leading scorer position with France's Kylian Mbappé.
Scaloni recently discussed Messi's ability to maintain peak form at this age, emphasizing it is no surprise whatsoever. "It doesn't surprise me," he said. "Perhaps people who don't know him might expect that at 39, he wouldn't be able to perform at this level. But I've said it countless times—as long as he wants to, he will be the best. That's what I think, and it's not just because I'm his coach."
The 48-year-old head coach also noted that Messi's body operates like a machine. "Leo runs the same way almost every match. Physically, he's trained well with the fitness coach and it's paid off. But in terms of statistics, I'm not sure how much he's actually changed." He added, "What's clear is he gives everything he has. When he commits fully and feels he can create danger, he becomes a machine."
