Gugnali on Colón kids and Messi: «He’ll be at the World Cup» | OneFootball

In an interview with the program ADN on Radio Gol 96.7, the current AFA Youth Teams from the Promotion divisions coach, Claudio Gugnali, gave details about the preparation of the U-17 National Team for the 2026 South American Youth Games in Panama. With the squad confirmed, the coach highlighted the presence of three young players from Colón and shared intimate details of his recent conversation with Lionel Messi.

The sabalero “youth pipeline” in the National Team

Gugnali confirmed that three players from Colón’s youth academy are part of the final list of 18 players who will travel to Panama this Friday. The coach gave a technical description of each one:

“Colón keeps supplying us with players. It is a huge responsibility to represent the National Team internationally with boys drawn from the promotion divisions”, said Gugnali, who also praised the work of the new youth academy structure at the Santa Fe club.

The inside story of the meeting with Messi: “He’s in”

One of the most notable parts of the interview was his account of his recent visit to Lionel Messi at the AFA training grounds. Gugnali, who was part of Alejandro Sabella’s process with the Argentine star, was emphatic about the captain’s future:

“For me, he’ll be at the World Cup, no doubt about it. That’s how I felt, and I saw him looking very good on the pitch,” he said firmly. He also revealed details of their private conversation: “We talked about family and his time in Miami; he told me he’s very happy, not like in Paris, where he suffered.” The coach highlighted Messi’s humility, noting that “he doesn’t ask for anything” and that his legacy with the National Team is unforgettable: “I saw him cry in Brazil and in Qatar; he truly cries for the National Team.”

Logistics and competition in Panama

The Argentine delegation leaves this Friday at 5:00 AM for Panama (p. 2). The group-stage schedule for the U-17 team has already been set:

Divided loyalties

When asked about the upcoming match between Estudiantes (where he is a key figure) and Unión (a club he coached), Gugnali responded with humor and emotion: “Those are the matches I want to end in a draw. I’ve always said it: my mother never lets me down, but my girlfriend does,” he joked, referring to his affection for both institutions.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.