Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was moved to tears during an emotional interview after watching a video of support from fans ahead of the World Cup final.
The 44-year-old Argentine is preparing his side to take on the reigning world champions in France after what has been a stellar tournament from his side.
After losing in their opening game against Saudi Arabia, Argentina have won four out of their following five in 90 minutes, and overcame the Netherlands on penalties in the quarter-finals.
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The country are dreaming of winning their first World Cup since 1986 and Lionel Messi is dreaming of completing his trophy collection and solidifying himself as the greatest player of all time - if he wasn't already.
Scaloni has overseen a highly successful spell for his country in charge, having bided his time as assistant, U20 and caretaker manager before taking the head coach role in 2018.
A triumph at the 2021 Copa America was a huge achievement for the country as they edged out Brazil in the final to end a 28-year wait for an international trophy.
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Before their shock loss to Saudi Arabia, they hadn't lost since early 2019 to Brazil; Scaloni has found the right balance in the side and utilised the young talents of Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez, as well as finding a way to get the most of their best player in Messi.
Ahead of the final, Scaloni was emotionally moved by a video from fans in his hometown showcasing their support (watch it above in the video player).
There was even messages from his old school which were shown to him during an interview, as he struggled to hold back tears.
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One user commented on the video: "It’s been a beautiful ride. He & Messi deserve this World Cup more than anyone else."
Whilst another commented on what Football means to Argentina: "Football runs in this country’s veins!"
Scaloni only made seven appearances for his country as a player, but he did feature at the 2006 World Cup in place of Javier Zanetti.
His playing career saw him venture across Europe and South America during a 20 year career, that even featured a short loan spell at West Ham.
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Now, the culmination of years of hard work results in a World Cup final, in what is perhaps the biggest game in football, and one of the biggest across all sports.
Topics: Argentina, Football World Cup, Football
George Priestman