"They're Indians": Argentina Coach Lionel Scaloni On Why Lionel Messi And Co. Are Unstoppable In FIFA World Cup

For the fourth straight match, Argentina raised heartbeats and then carved out a win in a way only they can in the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Wednesday. In the Round of 32, it was Cape Verde; in the Round of 16, Egypt; in the quarter-finals, Switzerland; and in the semi-finals, England - each time Lionel Messi's Argentina were pushed to the edge, the defending world champions responded like battle-hardened warriors. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni called them 'Indios' (Indians or Indigenous peoples of the Americas) after their win. To add more context, 'Indios' is the Spanish word for "Indians or the indigenous peoples of the Americas". It is not to be confused with the citizens of India.

"Yo conozco como son: son indios, pero en el buen sentido de la palabra (I know what they're like, they're Indians, but in the good sense of the word)," Lionel Scaloni was quoted as saying by larazon.es.

"I know what they're like: they're fierce, but in the best sense of the word. They grew up in environments where they weren't afraid of anything, where they were the best everywhere, they competed from a young age and everyone expected a lot from them. Responsibility doesn't weigh them down," the coach explained.

“YO LOS CONOZCO A ELLOS, SON INDIOS, SE CRIARON EN AMBIENTES DONDE NO LE TENÍAN MIEDO A NADA.

Eran los mejores en todos lados, de chiquitos todos esperaban mucho de ellos, no les pesa la responsabilidad”.

Lionel Scaloni. pic.twitter.com/P4OaBbvjOO

— Sudanalytics (@sudanalytics_) July 15, 2026

The word 'Indios' may convey negative connotations as it was a term used by European colonisers in the Americas. Scaloni realised that after using the term and said he might have made an error.  

"Me la mandé"

Por la mirada de Scaloni a su esposa después de decir que "los jugadores son unos indios": ¿Me la mandé, no? Me está mirando con una cara mi señora...". https://t.co/xNVxfQ7UqQ pic.twitter.com/uUdxUGN8Pv

— Tendencias en Argentina (@porqueTTarg) July 15, 2026

Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, with the help of two Lionel Messi assists, struck the late goals in a dramatic turnaround in Atlanta just as England were closing in on their first final in 60 years, following Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute goal.

Instead, La Albiceleste, following another comeback to rival their Round of 16 recovery against Egypt, can now look forward to their seventh World Cup final and stand a step away from retaining their world crown.

"I'm speechless, speechless. What a joy for our country, for our people," he said after the final whistle. "The other day I said that this squad never ceases to amaze me. And after this, it's very difficult to get people to understand what these players are capable of. It's incredible. We're unique, really, and that's not arrogance - it comes from the heart. We're unique. These fans helped us win the match today, so I'm grateful."

Later, at the press conference, the coach spoke specifically about how the match unfolded: "To be honest, the team plays best when it's under pressure. And when we're under pressure and the opposition hesitates just a little, that's when we smell blood and go all the way. You feel as though there's a vacuum cleaner in the goal pulling you towards it.

"From the moment they scored, it was a display that sums up everything we want from football. Football isn't just about tactics, strategy and playing beautifully. Football is everything that was encapsulated in those 40 minutes. And when we made it 2-1, we had to dig in, and we did that right until the end too. It's a demonstration of everything we're taught about what football is when we're little."

With IANS inputs

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Topics mentioned in this article

Messi 2026 FIFA World Cup Argentina Spain Football