Lionel Scaloni is unlikely to continue as Argentina coach after his World Cup heartbreak

An emotional Lionel Scaloni has hinted he may quit his Argentina job after the World Cup final defeat to Spain on Sunday (July 19). Scaloni’s side were beaten 0–1 in extra time as their bid to win a second successive World Cup ended in despair.

Scaloni was appointed manager of the Albiceleste in 2018 and led them to two Copa America titles and victory in the 2022 World Cup. The former right-back was emotional chaos right after a losshe did not finish his press conference. However, he later spoke to reporters.

Asked about his future, Scaloni said he will continue until the end of the year and then talk to the federation president about the next step.

While Scaloni admitted it was his dream job, he said it would be fair for someone else to take over and continue the job, leaving the decision in the hands of the federation.

“No, no. I’ll stay until December and then I’ll most likely step aside. I’ll continue until then and then I’ll talk to the Federation President. The plan is to take a break and slow down a bit. That’s the plan.”

“It’s an incredible place, a dream. I hope more people get the opportunity to experience it because every Argentine would love to be here. It was a pleasure to be here, an honor beyond anything I could have ever imagined in my wildest dreams.”

“No, I didn’t really think about it before. But yes, I’m going to stay until December. If the president wants me to, I’ll be here. After that, I think it’s going to be difficult because it’s also fair for someone else to take over.”

“I really hope that this group spirit remains, this feeling of unity between the players and the people. I don’t think that feeling should ever be broken. It should last forever,” Scaloni said.

The former defender’s contract expires at the end of the year. When asked if it was a farewell, Scaloni reiterated that his intention was to see out his remaining time in office.

However, he admitted that the job demands a lot from him and remained non-committal about continuing in the role.

“No, I’ll stay until December and then I’ll probably leave.

“You said the opposite of what I thought! (laughs) But in any case, I still have to discuss it with the president. I think it’s the right thing to do. And again, this place is incredible—magnificent, beautiful, like a dream.”

“But this job requires so much and we’ll see what happens after December. Like I said, I’ll definitely be here until then, but that’s how I see it for now,” Scaloni said.

If this is indeed the end of the road for Scaloni, the 48-year-old will go down as one of Argentina’s most successful managers of all time.

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Published on:

20 Jul 2026 09:05 IST