Lionel Scaloni expressed sympathy for Lionel Messi as the Argentina captain marked another year away from his kin on his birthday.
Turning 37 this Monday, Messi and his comrades gear up to continue their title fight in the Copa America against Chile come Tuesday.
The champs initiated their quest with a 2-0 win against Canada, then honored their leader with a festive cake.
Over on Instagram, Messi penned, “Heartfelt thanks for the well-wishes! Celebrating with the squad as my birthday aligns with national duty, prepping for what’s next.”
Scaloni recognized how challenging it is for the Inter Miami striker to miss celebrating with his loved ones.
“The struggle of spending his birthday away from family isn’t lost on him,” stated Scaloni during a press briefing.
“We strive to ensure he enjoys the day with his peers. We’re accustomed to this situation. He can count on the backing of the entire nation.”
“Messi’s presence is key. He practiced as usual and is in shape for the match against Chile,” he confirmed.
Messi also recounted his experiences of losing the Copa America finals to Chile in 2015 and 2016, both times on penalties.
After the latter defeat and a missed penalty, Messi briefly stepped back from international football. Yet, he returned and later spurred his team to Copa America and World Cup victories in 2021 and 2022.
But revenge isn’t on the agenda as they face off against La Roja at MetLife Stadium, clarified Scaloni.
“Those finals are long behind us, as is last year’s World Cup. They’re historical footnotes now. We’ve seen many matches of this sort,” he remarked.
“We’ll tackle the game as it comes,” Scaloni concluded.
