Scaloni makes a sad confession and this is what he says about Honduras

After the victory of Argentina by 2-0 over Hondurasin one of his last preparation commitments before the start of the 2026 World Cup, the coach Lionel Scaloni He shared his evaluations of the Albiceleste’s performance and also had words of respect and recognition towards the Bicolor.

The Argentine coach appeared before the media with caution when referring to his team’s aspirations in the next World Cupwhere he will seek to defend the title won in Qatar 2022. However, before talking about the tournament, he addressed one of the most sensitive news of recent days: the loss of the defender Leonardo Balerdi of the final list of 26 summoned.

Scaloni He explained that the muscle injury suffered by the defender ended up being more serious than expected and that, despite the initial hope, the difficult decision was finally made to exclude him from the World Cup squad.

“Yesterday we were hoping that it was not what it seemed. In the end it was confirmed. Unfortunately we have to release him because he does not meet the minimum requirements to be able to help us in the group stage. It was too risky. With all the pain in the world I had to talk to him and tell him that he was not going to be part of the Cup,” said the coach.

The strategist did not hide the affection he feels for the player and confessed that the news had an emotional impact on the group.

“I have a very great affection for him, because from the first day I started coaching the U-20 National Team he was part of the process and had worked a lot to be here. I spoke what I had to talk to him and it’s a shame. Facing this game was difficult because the entire group was a little touched by what happened to him. I think we got through it in the best way, but from yesterday to today we had very hard times,” he added.

Regarding the footballer who will occupy the vacant place in the call, Scaloni He assured that he has not yet made a final decision. The coach considers that there are other players with physical discomfort and prefers to wait before making any movement.

“We believe that we are not one hundred percent with several players and we are going to wait. We have another game to draw conclusions about what the team needs. Flaco’s misfortune means that we have to rethink many situations that are happening with other teammates as well. We do not want to rush because we could make the wrong decision,” he explained.

In addition to analyzing the current situation of his team, Scaloni praised the Honduran team, highlighting the level shown by the team led by Jose Francisco Molina.

“Honduras is a good team. We played a great game, beyond the fact that logically not every time you reach the area you can score a goal. The important thing is to create dangerous situations and the team did it constantly. We have created opportunities and that is something very positive. It is always better for the team to produce scoring chances, and today we achieved it,” he said.

Finally, the world champion coach was consulted about the possibility of winning a historic two-time championship in the 2026 World Cup. True to his prudent style, he avoided talking about grandiose objectives and made it clear that his focus is on daily work.

“Having a World Cup like the one in Qatar? We don’t think about repeating it. If the successes come, they will come; and if not, we have to be calm knowing that we left everything on the field,” he concluded. Scaloni.