Lionel Scaloni, the coach of Argentina, believes that injustice in football no longer exists in the current era.
Lionel Scaloni
Club: Argentina
Argentina is preparing to face Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
Scaloni said during the match's press conference: "In 1986, they were also saying that we get special treatment, so it's not new. As far as I can remember, Argentina has always been a force to be reckoned with in the tournament, and we use that in some way to show the players that there are those who do not want Argentina to win, but this is completely normal. There are also those who do not want other teams to win. Perhaps there are many more people who do not want us to win, and we take that into account. The players are well aware of it, and we use it as a kind of challenge or rebellious spirit that drives them to perform better".
He continued: "With video technology today, it has become difficult for any team to receive help, because it leaves no room for double interpretation. In the disallowed goal against Egypt, Lisandro's foot was stepped on. Whether the contact was light or strong or barely noticeable, it remains a foul, and there is no other explanation for the situation".
He added: "There is no favoritism or assistance to any particular team. We are in 2026, and with all this technology, that has become impossible. In the end, the laws are there and clear to everyone, and the matter has more to do with people's interpretation of events than with reality itself".
He went on: "Fortunately, we did not travel much compared to many other teams. If we had finished the group stage in second place, we would have had to travel across the entire United States from east to west, and from north to south, and perhaps even to Canada".
He stressed: "The last trip was only a two-hour flight, and due to a luggage issue, we were delayed for an extra hour at the airport and did not reach our destination until four or five in the morning".
He continued: "In the final stages of the World Cup, there should be longer periods between matches, and I will not stop repeating that, because I believe it should be that way. However, this stage where players get the least rest while travel remains long as it is, fortunately we did not travel much, but not because anyone gave us any favors so as not to be misunderstood. If we had finished the groups in second place, we would have traveled everywhere. In the end, we took the fast track because we performed well".
He added: "I have fielded the same lineup on more than one occasion, and it would not be strange for it to be repeated against Switzerland, although there may be some changes, but in principle I will rely on a lineup very similar to the one that played against Egypt. I think we did some good things against them".
He added: "I think the changes we made against Egypt improved the team. With Paredes coming on, we developed in ball movement and possession, and also McAllister improved".
Regarding the match against Switzerland, he said: "There are no easy teams for me. Switzerland is a strong team that competes with the best teams. They have experience in the World Cup, and we respect them like any other team. They eliminated Colombia, which had a great performance in the tournament. We thought we would face them".
He concluded: "Spain deserved the win over Belgium, and France also sent a strong message. As for us, I think we are having a good tournament except for the match against Cape Verde. We created many chances despite some specific individual mistakes. We performed better against Egypt, and even in Qatar when we won 3-0 against Croatia, Croatia had more possession than Egypt did. This team no longer feels intimidated in such big matches".
Argentina had defeated Egypt in the round of 16 by three goals to two, in a match that saw several controversial refereeing decisions.
