What happened in this Sports story?

Argentina's squad culture of mate, truco, and barbecues — combined with Scaloni's tactical freedom — has created the ideal environment for a 39-year-old Messi to lead the Golden Boot race heading into the World Cup semi-finals.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Messi** broke down in tears after Argentina's 3-2 comeback against Egypt, having missed a penalty — his emotion came from relief at not letting teammates down, with this potentially his last World Cup

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Scaloni** built team culture around mate drinking, barbecues, and truco card games, telling reporters: "I coach for this, not because I like a 4-3-3"

Mates, mate and freedom - how Argentina got the best out of Messi — SkimNews

By BBC Sport · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-07-15

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Messi broke down in tears after Argentina's 3-2 comeback against Egypt, having missed a penalty — his emotion came from relief at not letting teammates down, with this potentially his last World Cup
Scaloni built team culture around mate drinking, barbecues, and truco card games, telling reporters: "I coach for this, not because I like a 4-3-3"
Rodrigo De Paul formed a close bond with Messi after noticing him leave training subdued — the two share mate every morning in De Paul's room under a strict arrival order, with De Paul calling him "El Pequeno" despite Messi being the oldest
Argentina have won their past three semi-finals and lifted four trophies this cycle: two Copa Americas, a World Cup, and a Finalissima
Messi leads the World Cup scoring with 10 direct goal involvements — matching his 2022 mark — alongside only Kylian Mbappe as players with 10+ direct goal involvements across two different World Cups
Scaloni gives Messi positional freedom, letting him shift from the right flank against Egypt to central against Switzerland, with De Paul instructed to exploit the space Messi vacates
The squad's anthem "La Cuarta Estrella" is dedicated to Messi, with lyrics explicitly referencing the Falklands, Maradona, and "Leo's last outing" — led by De Paul after every win

Why it matters: Scaloni's flexible system — letting Messi choose positioning while the team adapts — has produced 10 goal involvements and an undefeated run to the semi-finals. With the squad anthem invoking the Falklands and this likely Messi's final World Cup, Argentina's emotional machinery now collides with the highest-stakes match of the tournament.