Spain deserved to win World Cup –Scaloni
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has admitted that Spain deserved to win the 2026 World Cup following their exceptional performance in the final on Sunday.
The La Roja denied Argentina the opportunity to win the trophy for the second consecutive time after a dominant performance in Miami.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored in the second period of extra time to lead Spain to their second World Cup trophy.
Scaloni revealed that Spain were the better side and they deserved to emerge champions of the tournament.
He said: “They were the better side – that’s the truth – but I’ll cherish the memory of them (his side), of what they achieved, and of the value of making it this far. We have to place immense value on this because it takes so much effort.”
The 2022 winner urged his players to move on from the defeat.
Scaloni continued: “We are gracious in victory, and we must be gracious in defeat. Today, we are showing that we know how to lose.
“We lost the match and we accept it, but that doesn’t mean we stop living or forget everything we did to get here.”
He thanked the fans for their incredible support throughout the 2026 tournament.
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“To the people, my players, and the country, I want to say that we gave it our all,” he said.
“We arrived here facing a realistic situation, but if the players leave everything on the pitch, as they did today, it sets a great example for our people and our country.
“We have to pick ourselves up again, there is no other way,” he added.
Scaloni, 48, said the side’s achievement in reaching a second successive final should be appreciated.
“I certainly value the runners-up spot because it takes so much to get here, and I think it deserves huge recognition,” he said.
“Naturally, we would have liked to win, but ultimately, I feel gratitude. That is the only word I have, along with sadness, of course.
“But when you give everything like that, regardless of whether you play well or poorly, it’s very hard to find fault.”
Scaloni has won two Copa America tournaments, one finalissima and one World Cup trophy for Argentina.
