“It is a very painful defeat, we did everything we could today. The players gave their all on the pitch, but could not achieve the result [they wanted] in Russia. I am also upset, I am also confused. But today there is [nothing] I can say regarding my future with Argentina,” Sampaoli told journalists.
He added that it was hard to play against a team as quick as France and that there were mistakes the South American side made, but it is hard to analyze them at the moment.
READ MORE: FIFA: Fair Play Rule Better Than Drawing Lots to Decide Group Positions
The head coach also stated that the team did its best for captain Lionel Messi to fully reveal his potential.
"We had enough time to prepare for the World Cup, we were hoping to advance further than the round of 16, but we failed to do so… We had the best player in the world and we wanted to do everything for the team to benefit from it. We did everything for Messi to be able to fully show himself," Sampaoli said, expressing his gratitude to the team.
Messi, who turned 31 on Sunday, made his debut for Argentina in 2005 and has since played 128 games, scoring a total of 65 goals.
Previously, there were reports that Argentina players voted for Sampaoli to be sacked as the team's head coach after their grievous 3-0 loss to Croatia at the group stage.
Argentina Midfielder Mascherano Retires From International Football
While Sampaoli is still unaware of his future, Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano has announced his retirement from the national team following the defeat to the French players.
“It is time to say goodbye,” the 34-year-old told the TyC Sports channel shortly after the game.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the matches being played in 11 cities across Russia.
