Scaloni: We deserved the win against Chile… Di María is a legend

Argentina’s head coach, Lionel Scaloni, expressed satisfaction with his players’ performance during their match against Chile in the CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina secured a valuable and deserved 3-0 victory over Chile in the seventh round of the qualifiers early on Friday, extending their lead at the top of the standings with 18 points.

Scaloni said after the match, where the reigning world champions scored all three goals in the second half: “The game was complicated, and the end of the first half wasn’t good.”

Scaloni added, as quoted by the Argentine Football Association’s official website: “We were able to speak to the players properly during the break. I think the result was fair.”

The Argentine coach also praised veteran star Ángel Di María, who was honored ahead of the match after announcing his international retirement, stating: “He has the doors open for anything he wants in the national team. He’s a legend in this country.”

Regarding Paulo Dybala, the Roma star who scored Argentina’s third goal in stoppage time, Scaloni commented: “When he’s in good shape, he contributes a lot. We’re very happy with him.”

In conclusion, Scaloni, who led Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup and Copa América earlier this year, emphasized: “The national team doesn’t need anyone to rest. We need to see the players in the positions where the team requires them. Today Alejandro (Garnacho) came in. He understood everything, did everything well, and is a player who can contribute a lot to us. But calmly.”