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

The first journalist to grab the microphone at Vladimir Petkovic’s press conference tried to stir up controversy: a yellow card Lionel Messi didn’t get in the first half, a possible double standard for the Argentine star. Algeria’s coach didn’t 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 recognition. “Our opponent was on another level”, he summed up after Argentina’s 3-0 thrashing in their 2026 World Cup opener 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 drove the point home with the stat that says it all: “Argentina had ten shots, seven of them came from Messi.”

The coach was also generous in his description of the world champion’s overall play. “It is a team with class. You only have to look at their ball control, how they switch play. They do not even give the opponent the chance to press them during the game.” He also clearly acknowledged his team’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 resisted the temptation to single out Luca Zidane, the goalkeeper partly responsible for the first goal. “It’s not my style to blame one player or another,” was his answer. When asked whether any tactical adjustment could have changed the result, his response was honest to the very 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 destiny 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, one of Algeria’s standout players, also spoke and likewise could not help but heap 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.