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Lionel Messi’s remarks in the Argentina dressing room ahead of the 2026 World Cup finals have sparked a flurry of speculation on social media after they were taken out of context as a reference to a domestic crisis.
But Alexis McAllister’s father has come forward to reveal the truth about the message the Tango captain sent to his teammates ahead of the Spain clash.
Argentina midfielder Alexis McAllister’s father, Carlos McAllister, told radio stations that Messi’s speech before the final match was purely tactical, denying any disagreements or tension in the national team camp. La Nacion newspaper.
The clarification came after the release of a video published by ESPN, in which Messi appeared addressing his teammates, saying:
The Argentina captain then added words that raised eyebrows and questions, saying: “Let’s forget everything. Let’s just play. Let’s focus on the match, guys,” prompting some to launch conspiracy theories about an internal crisis leading up to the final, which saw Argentina lose 1-0 to Spain after extra time.
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McAllister’s father said he became suspicious after watching the video, saying: “I texted Alexis asking what happened in the dressing room, did something happen? If I started thinking, imagine what others are thinking.’
He added that his son completely denied there was any problem, explaining that Messi’s talk was only about how to play technique, focusing on passing, movement, switching positions and not going for long balls or losing the ball.
He pointed out that the clip, taken out of its context, opened the door to unwarranted interpretations, stressing that what was said was part of the technical instructions before the start of the game.
Despite the controversy raised by the video, Carlos McAllister stressed that Argentina’s loss was not the result of an internal crisis, but rather due to the superiority of the Spanish team, saying that all the Tango players gave their best, but they faced an opponent that was better that night.
