Former Argentina Player Palermo Surprises Head Coach At Press Conference

Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni was pleasantly surprised during his press conference on the eve of the World Cup opener against Algeria as his former team-mate Martín Palermo raised his hand to ask a question. Scaloni and Palermo played together at Estudiantes in the 1996-1997 season. The match against Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri, also marks the start of the sixth and possibly final World Cup for Lionel Messi. One of the best players of a generation turns 39 later this month and is widely expected to retire from international competition following this year's expanded 48-team tournament. Messi added the one thing missing from his impressive resume with the 2022 World Cup win in Qatar. Now he's hoping to lead the Argentines to the first consecutive World Cup titles since Brazil in 1962. Messi needs four more goals to surpass Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s World Cup record of 16, but his body is starting to show signs of wear. He's been dealing with muscle fatigue and a hamstring strain that led to his substitution during Inter Miami’s final match before the World Cup. Messi sat out Argentina's friendly against Honduras in hopes of being healthy for what will likely be his last hurrah on the World Cup stage. #FIFA #FIFAWorldCup #FIFAWorldCup2026 #Football #WorldCup2026 #NDTVWorld #Argentina NDTV World delivers a fresh, balanced, and inclusive outlook on the issues that matter most. The world has viewed India through a narrow, Western-focused lens for far too long. The time has come to disrupt these US and Eurocentric narratives. NDTV World delivers a fresh, balanced, and inclusive outlook on the issues that matter most—geopolitics, migration, diaspora experiences, education, and global news Links NDTV World ndtv.com/world X x.com/NDTVWORLD Instagram instagram.com/ndtvworld Linkedin linkedin.com/company/ndtv-world