Lionel Scaloni confirms he’ll continue as Argentina head coach
Fernando Romero NunezUpdated 1 day Ago1 Mins read
Argentina men’s national football team head coach Lionel Scaloni announced on Thursday that he’ll renew his contract to remain at the helm until at least the 2030 World Cup.
The announcement came at the press conference ahead of the Albiceleste’s clashes with Uruguay and Costa Rica in the upcoming international matches window.
“I’m feeling the same eagerness and the same hopefulness as on day one,” said Scaloni, adding that he was “happy” to continue working as Argentina head coach. “I’m thankful to get to start a new process.”
Scaloni said he had analyzed the squad with his coaching staff and decided that “there’s material to keep on competing.”
If he reaches the 2030 tournament in the job, he’ll become the first Albiceleste head coach to be at the helm for three World Cups.
A team without Messi The coach is preparing for his first set of top-level matches without Argentine football star Lionel Messi, who retired from the Albiceleste in October.
“Our style of play will be similar, because we have players who play with the same intensity, and that’s the way we like it,” Scaloni said. “There have been some really great performances.”
Argentina will take on Uruguay on Friday at 8 p.m. at La Bombonera, before facing off against Costa Rica on Tuesday at 12 p.m. at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba.
The news of Scaloni’s renewal comes after a long period of doubts about the head coach’s continuation at the helm of the national team.
After the loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, Scaloni himself cast doubt on his continuity at the helm of the Argentine national team, saying he’d have to “talk” with Argentina Football Association (AFA) President Claudio Tapia, insisting it’d be “hard to put together another team like [that one].”
Scaloni also announced that long-time assistant Walter Samuel will depart from the coaching staff.
“I wish him the best because he was a very important part of this coaching staff, and now he’ll be starting out on his own. I’m grateful for what he gave us; I really appreciate him,” said Scaloni.
