Although far from looking confident, Scaloni had a more different face than on other moments and replied liberally as if stress had left his mind and felt calm after more than three years on a path that began surrounded by heavy criticism.

“My emotion is part of our own culture, of everything that is felt in Argentina,” Scaloni said in the press conference prior to the final match versus France.

“Soccer is a sport, but in Argentina it is much more. And the fact that people have been so happy in this World Cup is something wonderful for me. We are human beings and that excites us,” Scaloni added at the Virtual Lounge of the Doha Media Center.

Regarding what could be Messi’s last duel in these competitions, Scaloni stressed that “hopefully we can win the Cup, it would be great and the most important thing is to enjoy it, because what would be a better scenario than a World Cup final.

“All teams are different, none are the same. France is a great team, we are here to compete and any mistake can change the match. Let’s hope the result goes our way”.

Scaloni also mentioned again his eternal gratitude to millions of supporters: “We have the best fans on the planet, they were in need of joy and we are giving it to them”.

pll/lam/jdg