Lionel Messi may not have faced the media, but he dominated part of Argentina’s press conference ahead of the World Cup opener, with coach Lionel Scaloni and defender Nicolas Otamendi underscoring his importance.
The 38-year-old captain is set to play a record sixth World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and both coaches and teammates have made it clear his influence has not diminished as the defending champions prepare to face Algeria on Tuesday.
“Not only Argentines, we believe everyone wants to see him on the pitch, wants to see him play,” Scaloni told reporters on Monday. They confirmed that the forward has recently recovered from a muscle strain and is expected to be in the starting lineup.