Argentina's 'most popular man' - Scaloni's World Cup journey

(A mentation of this nonfiction was archetypal tally connected 26 November 2022)

And truthful helium did, backmost successful 2016. It was then, aft a grooming session, helium heard the quality Lionel Messi had decided to discontinue playing for Argentina. He couldn't judge it and decided to tweet a representation of his erstwhile team-mate successful that year's Copa America last with a hopeless message.

"This representation says it all… Don't go, Lio," helium wrote.

Scaloni couldn't cognize backmost then, but six years connected he's preparing for a World Cup last against France, having been capable truthful acold to bring retired the champion mentation of Messi for the South Americans and extremity a 28-year rubric drought by winning helium 2021 Copa America successful Brazil. It was the opening of 'La Scaloneta', arsenic the squad has been nicknamed since then. The 44-year-old manager is present the country's astir fashionable man.

So overmuch truthful that, adjacent earlier the run started, helium had already had his declaration renewed until 2026. The past Argentina manager to person remained successful complaint aft a World Cup was Marcelo Bielsa successful 2002.

It is simply a testament to his immense popularity, with the full squad and fanbase having a unsighted assurance successful their coach.

"If it's 10 successful the greeting and Scaloni tells america bully night, past it's nighttime for us, too," Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo de Paul said.

Unlike what happened successful the past, Messi and Co present look to the dugout and spot 1 of their own. If they are to bring the trophy location for the archetypal clip since 1986, that volition beryllium adjacent much crucial.

"We've got a coaching unit with Scaloni and different erstwhile footballers specified arsenic [Pablo] Aimar, [Roberto] Ayala and [Walter] Samuel, who went done a batch of things with Argentina's shirt, cognize what it represents and are capable to walk it through," erstwhile midfielder Lucho Gonzalez tells BBC Sport.

"And past we person a radical that, you tin spot precise clearly, works with joyousness erstwhile they get together. We besides person the world's champion player, but the squad makes him consciousness good and doesn't trust solely connected him. That's been cardinal to this process."

• Watch the afloat Messi documentary connected BBC iPlayer
• 'France triumph sets up the last and Messi-Mbappe duel galore wanted'
• Messi and Mbappe? Pick your Argentina-France combined XI

'He volition spell to the motorcycling World Cup, not the shot one'

Scaloni mania was successful afloat plaything successful Argentina successful the build-up to this World Cup, but no-one could person predicted it erstwhile the antheral from the tiny colony of Pujato was archetypal appointed arsenic caretaker manager pursuing the calamitous Russia 2018 campaign.

The disapproval was specified that adjacent the legendary Diego Maradona said astatine the clip that the lone World Cup helium would spell to was the motorcycling one, not the shot one.

A reserved and down-to-earth person, Scaloni listened to each that, but chose not to answer. Having worked arsenic Jorge Sampaoli's adjunct astatine Sevilla and past followed him to the nationalist squad successful Russia, helium couldn't reason overmuch astir his deficiency of experience. After all, 2 years before, helium was inactive grooming kids successful his neighbourhood club.

"We went to the 2006 World Cup together, but, contempt his bonzer career, I could not ideate that helium would go the manager that helium is now," recalls Lucho, who is starting his coaching beingness arsenic well. "It's lone earthy that helium was a spot questioned astatine the beginning. The media didn't cognize overmuch astir his capacity, but it has proved to beryllium a precise astute determination from the federation.

"I judge that clip has shown that, if you don't absorption excessively overmuch connected the aboriginal results, the processes work. And they person worked."

No abstracted tables successful 'La Scaloneta'

The consciousness successful Argentina is that 'La Scaloneta' person a large togetherness, forged implicit respective years. When Juventus midfielder Leandro Paredes celebrated his day successful Ibiza past summer, 13 members of the squad made the travel to beryllium with him.

Scaloni has lone 1 regularisation whenever they are successful the camp: each players should beryllium astatine the aforesaid array and beryllium capable to look each different successful the eyes.

It's nary wonderment that, arguably for the archetypal clip since 2006, the Argentines genuinely judge they tin triumph the World Cup. Not adjacent the Saudi Arabia effect changed that.

"It usually doesn't substance however you get to these tournaments, but evidently getting determination arsenic 1 of the rubric contenders and with specified a large ambiance excites the fans," says Lucho.

"It is simply a peculiar World Cup, our archetypal 1 without Maradona, a beloved antheral by each Argentines - and particularly by maine - who would ever beryllium astir successful these moments. But I person nary uncertainty helium is supporting america from above."

Get the latest results and extremity notifications for immoderate squad astatine the Fifa World Cup by downloading the BBC Sport app: Apple - Android - Amazon

Get your regular dose of Fifa World Cup reaction, statement & investigation with World Cup Daily connected BBC Sounds