Lionel Messi asked for a change during Argentina's draw against Colombia, claims Lionel Scaloni
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni has revealed that Lionel Messi asked to be substituted during La Albiceleste's 1-1 draw against Colombia on Tuesday, June 10. The two sides faced off in a World Cup Qualifiers game at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
Liverpool attacker Luis Diaz broke the deadlock in the 24th minute, courtesy of Kevin Castano's assist. In the 71st minute, Enzo Fernandez was sent off due to his tackle on Castano. After a few minutes, Messi was subbed out and Exequiel Palacios was called in his place.
Thiago Almada found the much-needed equalizer for La Albiceleste in the 81st minute, assisted by substitute Palacios. After the game ended on level terms, Scaloni stated that Lionel Messi asked to be taken off after Enzo Fernandez was shown a red card.
The Argentina boss also expressed his satisfaction with his team's performance, who shared a point with Colombia despite being down to 10 men. He said (via GOAL):
"Leo wasn't going to come off, but he ended up coming off near the end. He (Messi) told me it was better for him to come off, and so we decided to change him. The good thing we always showed, with 10 men and without Messi, is that we kept looking, not giving up on a ball. This makes us very satisfied."
Despite being substituted in the 78th minute, Messi completed the most dribbles in the match (7), maintained a passing accuracy of 80% and took four shots.
Lionel Scaloni claims Argentina will play the same with or without Lionel Messi
Lionel Scaloni has claimed that Argentina is no longer reliant on Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami attacker missed La Albiceleste's World Cup qualifying games against Uruguay and Brazil in March due to an injury.
However, Argentina registered victories in both games and secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 37-year-old returned on national duty last week and made a substitute appearance during La Albiceleste's 1-0 victory over Chile.
Before Argentina's 1-1 draw against Colombia on Tuesday, Scaloni stated that his team would continue to perform in the same way, regardless of Lionel Messi's absence. He told reporters (via ESPN):
"The team is now in a moment where it can play in the same way with Leo (Messi) or without Leo, which used to be more complex in the past, as we had to change some players. But now we don't have this necessity, and the team works in the same way, that's good."
In 193 appearances for the Argentine senior team, the 37-year-old has scored 112 goals. Messi has also won the FIFA World Cup, the Finalissima, two Copa America titles, and a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics with Argentina.