World Cup: ex-Flamengo gets surprise from Scaloni after Messi 'show'

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Coluna do Fla

·17 Juni 2026

World Cup: ex-Flamengo gets surprise from Scaloni after Messi 'show'

What did Argentina coach Scaloni say to Djalminha?

Argentina kicked off the 2026 World Cup with a Messi ‘show’, ending in a 3-0 win over Algeria. After the match, Djalminha, former player and a product of Flamengo, managed to get a few quotes from Lionel Scaloni, coach of the ‘hermanos’.

Djalminha is one of ‘CazéTV’’s correspondents at this World Cup. In his first chat with the former midfielder, Scaloni spoke about what it is like to have a player with Messi’s qualities in the squad and recalled the days when he played with the former Fla man at La Coruña (Spain).

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“I remember when we were at La Coruña, the same thing happened to me too. We weren’t playing well, but then a player like you (Djalminha) would come along and decide the game. When you have a player like that, you know you have an ace up your sleeve. I think he is the best player, at least of those I’ve seen. I think we have to enjoy it. We have to enjoy players like him, Neymar… we have to make the most of it,” said Scaloni.

WHAT DID ARGENTINA COACH SCALONI SAY ABOUT BRAZIL?

Still in the chat with Djalminha, Scaloni also did not hide the affection he has for Brazil. In his remarks, the coach said that whenever Argentina is not playing, he always tends to root for the Seleção.

“Djalminha knows, I love Brazil. I always got along very well with the Brazilians when I was at La Coruña. We built a great friendship and I’m a fan of Brazil. The truth is that when Argentina doesn’t win, I also start rooting for Brazil. Despite all the rivalry, we are very similar and we love this wonderful sport,” Scaloni concluded.

DID DJALMINHA AND SCALONI PLAY TOGETHER?

As mentioned, Djalminha and Scaloni played together during their time at La Coruña. Besides their great friendship, the duo won important titles with the club, such as La Liga, the Spanish Championship, in the 1999/2000 season.

WAS DJALMINHA EVER A FLAMENGO PLAYER?

Before making history in football, Djalminha took his first steps in his career in Flamengo’s youth ranks. At Rubro-Negro, the former midfielder was even part of the team that won the Copinha in 1990. With the senior team, the former player also collected titles, including the 1992 Brasileirão, before leaving Mengo in 1993.

HOW DID MESSI PERFORM IN ARGENTINA VS ALGERIA AT THE WORLD CUP?

Messi wrote another beautiful chapter in World Cup history. That is because, with three goals against Algeria, Argentina’s number 10 became the competition’s joint top scorer alongside Klose, with 16 goals, surpassing Ronaldo Fenômeno, who has 15.

WHAT IS ARGENTINA’S NEXT WORLD CUP MATCH?

After Messi’s ‘show’ against Algeria, Argentina returns to the field next Monday (22) to face Austria in the second round of the World Cup. In short, the ball starts rolling at 2 p.m. Brasília time, in Dallas, United States. That way, Coluna do Fla will provide all the details on the website and social media.

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