Mahrez and Petkovic, in awe of Messi after the 3-0 in Kansas | OneFootball

The first journalist to take the microphone at Vladimir Petkovic’s press conference tried to stir controversy: a yellow card Lionel Messi did not receive in the first half, a possible preferential treatment for the Argentine star. Algeria’s coach did not take the bait. “It’s pointless to talk about hypothetical situations”, replied the Sarajevo-born manager, and from there he chose a different path: honesty and acknowledgment. “Our opponent was on another level”, he summed up after the 3-0 thrashing Argentina handed his team in their 2026 World Cup debut in Kansas City.

Petkovic had no problem putting Messi at the center of the analysis and speaking with facts. “We are not talking about an ordinary footballer but one who has won the Ballon d’Or. Unfortunately, we gave him an opportunity on the first and second goals. We made it easier for him to score. But with his clear thinking and reading of the game, he can make everything easier because he is a team player. He has the privilege that the entire Argentina national team has worked around him for many years.” And he finished with the stat that says it all: “Argentina shot ten times, seven of them came from Messi.”

The coach was also generous in his description of the world champion’s overall play. “It’s a classy team. You just have to look at their ball control, how they switch play. They do not even give the opponent the chance to press them in the game.” And he clearly acknowledged his side’s defensive problem: “We made too many mistakes by allowing Argentina’s players to be free between 15 and 25 meters from the box and shoot.”

Petkovic also did not fall into the temptation of pointing the finger at Luca Zidane, the goalkeeper who was at fault for the first goal. “It’s not my style to accuse one player or another,” was his response. When asked whether any tactical adjustment could have changed the result, the answer was honest to the end: “I could have made five changes, substitutions during the match, but I think today our opponent was on another level.”

The coach chose to close with a message of faith for what lies ahead. “Our fate is in our hands. We can choose our destiny. I take away the knowledge that we can do better. This match is very important, but we still have two more left.”

For his part, Riyad Mahrez, the Algerian team’s star player, also spoke and likewise could not help but lavish praise on the Argentine captain: “They have Messi, and that makes the difference. He is the best player in the world and the World Cup is his favorite competition,” said the current Al-Ahli player.

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