After Argentina’s 1-0 win over Brazil on November 21, in an ill-tempered World Cup qualifier at the famed Estádio Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, the defending world champions were riding high. It was Argentina’s second consecutive victory over their arch rivals on Brazilian soil. Two years prior, the Albiceleste had won the Copa América final over Brazil inside the same stadium, which kicked off their remarkable run to the World Cup final in 2022.
During that journey, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni became a national hero, although he was underappreciated at first. Scaloni was still seen as an untested international coach when Argentina defeated favored Brazil in the 2021 Copa América final. But he became an icon after Argentina’s thrilling win over France in Doha last December. So naturally, the world was surprised last month when Scaloni revealed that he was unclear about his future as Argentina’s head coach.
“Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible, and who is well,” Scaloni said immediately after defeating Brazil in November. “I need to stop the ball and start thinking, I have a lot of things to think about during this time.”
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From the stadium mixed zone, several of Argentina’s players admitted that they were taken aback by their manager’s revelation. Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister told reporters that during the match, Scaloni had thanked him “for everything.” An ESPN Argentina report later claimed that Scaloni would leave the national team after next summer’s Copa América in the United States, even though Scaloni extended his contract with the Argentina Football Association (AFA) through 2026 back in February.
Suddenly, Argentina’s glorious run under Scaloni had a potentially premature end date. But why would Scaloni abruptly walk away from so much success?
Since Scaloni’s comments, the Argentine press has been busy theorizing about what could’ve happened. Several outlets have reported that Scaloni’s patience with AFA has thinned since the World Cup. The process to extend his contract, for instance, dragged on far too long. And according to TyC reporter Ariel Senosiain, Scaloni and his staff, as well as the Argentina players, have not yet received their World Cup bonuses.
Scaloni’s relationship with AFA president Claudio Tapia has been perceived as unbreakable, and mutually beneficial, since the former succeeded Jorge Sampaoli after the 2018 World Cup. In 2019, Tapia handpicked Scaloni over several big-name candidates. At the time, he was criticized for that decision, considering coaches like Mauricio Pochettino, Diego Simeone and Marcelo Gallardo were the preferred options for fans and pundits, and Scaloni’s only previous coaching experience was as an assistant and youth team coach.
But during Scaloni’s reign, the national team brand has taken off — particularly since the last World Cup. AFA expanded their presence globally and took advantage of the cult-like following of La Scaloneta, the nickname fans in Argentina have given Scaloni’s side. The federation is now more commercially viable than ever before.
Today, after decades of bureaucratic and political turmoil, AFA is not nearly as volatile as it was before 2022. However, it would be naive to believe that a South American football federation — even one of the more stable ones — is not heavily influenced by the country’s politics. In fact, Argentina’s recent presidential elections are believed to have been a factor in Scaloni’s change of heart.
The day after Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Brazil, another TyC Sports journalist, Gustavo Grabia, reported that just before the national elections, Sergio Massa, the nation’s minister of economy, and the center-left candidate for the presidency, had requested a photo with the national team.
Massa and Tapia are reportedly close, but according to Grabia, the players had refused to be used as political pawns. Tapia then pressured Scaloni to change their minds, to no avail. The election was finalized on November 20, the day before the Argentina-Brazil clash. Massa lost the election to far-right candidate Javier Milei.
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Another reason for Scaloni’s comment lies in the world of Argentine talk radio. There are hundreds of radio shows around the country that are dedicated to the national team. Buenos Aires-based Radio 10 is well followed. The day after Scaloni’s press conference, journalist Jorge Rial told Radio 10 listeners that Messi had been bothered by Scaloni’s decision to talk to the international press about his future before addressing the team.
There was also tension between Scaloni and Messi pre-match, according to Rial. The pregame at the Maracaná had been marred by police violence against the traveling contingent of Argentina fans. Lionel Messi and his teammates approached the melee and yelled at the Brazilian police as they battered defenseless Argentina supporters with batons. Messi in turn made an executive decision, without consulting Scaloni, and led the Argentina squad off the field and into the dressing room, a decision that Rial reported had agitated Scaloni and his staff.
Messi and Scaloni during a training session in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires Province, on November 20. (Photo: ALEJANDRO PAGNI / AFP)Whether or not a power struggle between Scaloni and Messi truly exists, it appears Scaloni is growing tired of the sideshow that surrounds the Albiceleste, as this isn’t the first time he’s spoken publicly about his struggles as the national team manager.
The Copa América triumph in 2021 came when South America was still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was played behind closed doors in Brazil, and the players and the staff from each country were sequestered for the duration of the competition.
Argentina lifted the trophy, then four months later continued their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign. In a three-match window that October, Argentina earned seven points. They were seen as real contenders to win in Qatar by then, but Scaloni who lives in Mallorca, Spain with his wife and two young children, quickly tempered the hype.
“I just want to go home,” he told reporters. “I haven’t seen my family in a long time. I’m not going through a positive family moment right now for me to be thinking about the World Cup. I want to leave. These months have been really hard and I don’t want to think about anything else. We’ve played these three matches and we’ll see what happens next.”
What followed was an undefeated qualifying cycle that pegged Argentina as favorites in Qatar. But a tumultuous opening loss at the World Cup to Saudi Arabia briefly derailed Argentina’s path. It was a shock defeat and devastating blow. Argentina was on the brink of elimination early on at the tournament. In Argentina, a loss at a World Cup can cripple the country. Meanwhile, Scaloni and the players were also burdened with helping Messi avoid another massive failure at the international level.
That took its toll on Scaloni, who freely shows his emotions, evidenced by how he wept uncontrollably after Gonzalo Montiel converted the game-winning penalty in the World Cup final against France. Late last month, Scaloni was a guest on the “Bobo Vieri Talk Show,” hosted by former Italy striker Christian Vieri and Cristian Brocchi, who played with Scaloni at Lazio from 2008-2013. Scaloni spoke about the pressure of the Argentina job. He told Vieri and Brocchi that he had dealt with a stomach rash a month after the World Cup final due to stress.
So the job has taken a toll — the mental and physical strain, and the anxiety that has long been a part of the fabric of Argentine football. For now, it seems not even a world number one ranking, or coaching a World Cup winner in Messi, are reason enough to continue until 2026.
“These players have given a lot to the coaching staff and I need to think a lot about what I’m going to do,” Scaloni said after last month’s win over Brazil. “It’s not goodbye or anything, but I need to think because the bar is very high and it’s complicated to keep going and it’s complicated to keep winning.”
Brocchi joked on the podcast that he and Scaloni should return to Lazio together to restore the Serie A club. A future in club football is most likely next for Scaloni. At 45 years old and with a World Cup trophy in hand, Scaloni will be in demand if he leaves Argentina next summer. The timing would be ideal for a European club that’s looking for a new manager.
Scaloni has been linked to Real Madrid, currently under the direction of Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian manager is expected to leave the 14-time Champions League winners in time to coach Brazil at the Copa América. That would open the door for Scaloni, who is quite familiar with Spanish football. His time with Deportivo La Coruña, Racing Santander and Mallorca spanned more than 200 matches. Serie A could be another possible destination for Scaloni. He has won everything with Argentina. Club football is the next frontier.
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Of course, he could still reconsider and decide to stay with Argentina. Until Scaloni confirms otherwise, both success and failure at the Copa América could motivate him to continue, or convince him to move on. It’s also not out of the ordinary for a manager to leave a national team job after one cycle, especially in Argentina. Scaloni is the country’s seventh manager since 2010.
If Scaloni leaves sooner than expected, Gallardo, Simeone and Pochettino will again become names to watch.
This situation now makes the next Copa América a crossroads for Argentina. It could be both Scaloni and Messi’s final competition with Argentina. On Thursday in Miami, the site of the Copa América draw, all eyes will be on Scaloni. Then next summer, there will be increased pressure on Argentina to win a second straight Copa América, as they’ll play with a massive target on their backs.
For Scaloni, who can’t seem to emotionally detach himself from the Argentina job, removing himself from that environment may be exactly what he needs.
(Photo: Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
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