Scaloni praises Messi's final appearance

He added: "I have never seen anything like this in anyone all my life. The feeling he transmits, I have not seen it in any other player. We will look for other tools and different solutions, but this feeling will no longer exist."

In his final match with the national team, Messi delivered what he used to deliver, scoring a goal and providing two assists, bringing down the curtain on more than two decades of giving and dedication in Argentina's colors, in front of more than 80,000 spectators who crowded into the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

Scaloni continued: "Eternal gratitude for everything he has given us, and for defending this shirt in a way no one else has. For me, it was a dream to coach him. I told him in front of everyone, with whatever energy I have left to say that: I never imagined in my life that I would become the coach of the best football player in history."

Scaloni had triumphed alongside the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner to claim the 2022 World Cup title.

The Argentine coach added: "Before the match I was sad, because a unique player is leaving (...) but he leaves us an incredible legacy," pointing out that he shed tears, especially while the national anthem was playing.

He continued: "Now we must continue without him. It will be difficult. He said himself that what we experienced in recent years was not normal. We are capable of dealing with that."

He concluded by saying: "The only way to compensate for his departure is to rely on a great national team where every individual plays their part in the collective building."