Scaloni Warns Against Complacency After Messi's Hat-trick Powers Argentina Past Algeria

Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni expressed confidence in his defending champions after Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to guide them to a 3-0 victory over Algeria in their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign opener. Scaloni praised the dominant opening performance and Messi's exceptional display.

However, Scaloni cautioned against complacency, stating that any team could defeat Argentina if they became overconfident. He emphasized that maintaining consistency would make them difficult to beat. "If we do things right it will be hard to beat us," Scaloni said, acknowledging that the tournament has already produced unexpected results.

Argentina's next matches are against Austria on June 21 and Jordan on June 27. Scaloni noted the long journey ahead but stressed that starting with a victory is crucial for building team confidence and momentum.