Argentina’s World Cup hangover may come with a second shock as Lionel Scaloni has suggested his time as national team coach could end within months, just after Spain stopped La Albiceleste from defending their crown.
Scaloni, who led Argentina through its 2022 World Cup triumph and into another final in 2026, said he would remain in charge until December but left open the possibility that he may then walk away.
“I will continue as Argentina coach until December… then probably I will stop,” Scaloni said after the final defeat.
The comment lands at a delicate moment for Argentina. Lionel Messi’s international future is also unresolved, and the pressure is now on a team that has spent years living at the top of world football to decide who leads the next chapter.
Scaloni said he plans to speak with the president of Argentina’s football federation before making a final call.
“I will talk to the president [of the soccer federation],” Scaloni said. “I believe it’s only fair that I can take this time for myself to think this through. I never thought I would get to this place and it’s wonderful.”
But his words made clear that staying on is not simply a matter of signing up for another cycle. The job now comes with the task of rebuilding belief, energy and possibly the squad itself after a draining run to another World Cup final.
“In order to continue, you need a great deal of things: resetting your mind, rebooting, creating a group like this again — that is very difficult.”
Scaloni also defended Messi’s place in football history after a tournament that may have been the 39-year-old’s last World Cup.
“I hope that everyone feels proud of him, of what he’s achieved, because he’s the best football player ever to set foot on a pitch,” Scaloni said.
