Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni has stated that he will take more time to decide about the team’s future and his continuation. Following the emotional loss to Spain in the World Cup final, Scaloni mentioned that he will discuss with the federation’s president before revealing any plans. Having managed Argentina since 2018, Scaloni has established a successful reputation by winning the 2022 World Cup and the Copa America.
Scaloni, 48, was appointed head coach after Argentina was eliminated in the round of 16 in the 2018 World Cup. At that time, he had no prior experience as a head coach and only limited experience as an assistant. Despite initial doubts, Scaloni became Argentina’s most successful coach in history. His team, the 2022 World Cup champions, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain on Sunday night in another World Cup encounter.
“I will have a conversation with the federation president. I have my own thoughts about what I want to do,” Scaloni said. He added, “I don’t know if replicating such a big achievement is possible, and perhaps a detailed discussion about that is necessary.” If he continues, it is likely that the squad will be very different from the one he has managed for nearly a decade.
Lionel Messi, now 39, once again delivered an outstanding performance with eight goals and four assists. In total, eight Argentine players who started in the 2022 and 2026 finals played from the initial eleven, making a significant overhaul of the squad beyond their most famous star almost certain. Scaloni remarked, “Rebuilding such a group is very difficult. It is genuinely painful. I am very saddened.”
He expressed no regrets about the result of the final, stating, “We are extremely grateful to all our fans. But in the end, the result did not go our way,” he said. Scaloni, a product of Newell’s Old Boys—the team where Messi grew up—played football professionally for two decades across Argentina, Spain, Italy, and briefly in England.
