Lionel Messi will be on the bench for Argentina vs. Jordan in Group J of the 2026 World Cup, but the way Scaloni confirmed the news has gone viral.
Everyone has been waiting to know if Messi will play against Jordan in a dead-rubber group stage game for the already-qualified Argentina.
While reports confirmed that Messi will be on the bench already, the legendary 91-year-old journalist Macaya Marquez got Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni to confirm the news to him directly in a heartwarming interaction.
Scaloni refuses to hide Lionel Messi truth from 91-year-old Marquez
Marquez is a legendary journalist in Argentina, with the 2026 World Cup marking the 18th edition of the tournament that the journalist has covered.
He was attending Scaloni’s press conference before their final group stage game and asked him about Messi’s reported status, with Scaloni sharing the truth and admitting he wouldn’t answer if any other journalist asked him this.
Macaya Marquez: “Let me ask you… Will Messi play against Jordan or not?”
Lionel Scaloni: “Honestly, it’s a pleasure to answer a question from you. You have covered 18 World Cups; it’s incredible. I remember when I was playing for Argentina, you were already a star in journalism, and today you are even more so. If someone else asked me the question, I’d surely dodge it, but because it’s you, I’ll answer it. Messi will go to the bench tomorrow. I congratulate you, Enrique, and enjoy the World Cup. You are a true legend.”
Macaya Marquez’s legendary career spans Pele to Lionel Messi
Marquez’s legendary career in football began at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, where he watched the emergence of a 17-year-old Pelé as Brazil won their first-ever World Cup.
He’s been present at every single subsequent World Cup, all the way to 2026, where he is watching what might be the final World Cup run for modern greats like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Marquez was the host of Argentina’s most influential soccer show, Futbol de Primera, from 1985 to 2009. While he’s basically retired by now, he is always ready to attend a World Cup and continue his streak as arguably the greatest World Cup reporter the sport will ever see.
Marquez is a legend of the sport in general, but modern Argentine fans will have a soft spot for him as he’s been the premier journalist for the sport in the soccer-crazy nation for the prime of Diego Maradona as well as the Messi era.
Read more:
