After Argentina’s 1-0 win over Brazil on Nov. 21, in a game-changing World Cup qualifier at Rio de Janeiro’s famed Estádio Maracanã, the reigning world champions were on the right track. It was Argentina’s second consecutive win over their main rival on Brazilian soil. years earlier, La Albiceleste had won the Copa America final against Brazil at the same stadium, kicking off their remarkable run to the World Cup final in 2022.
During this journey, Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni has a national hero, even if he was initially underestimated. Scaloni was still considered an untested foreign coach when Argentina beat favorites Brazil in the 2021 Copa América final. But he has become an icon after Argentina’s thrilling victory over France in Doha last December. Naturally, the world was shocked last month when Scaloni revealed that he was unsure of his long-term status 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 excellent run under Scaloni came to a potentially premature end. But why would Scaloni walk away from such success?
Since Scaloni’s comments, the Argentine press has been busy theorizing about what happened. Several media outlets have reported that Scaloni’s patience with the AFA has run out since the World Cup. The process of extending his contract, for example, has taken too long. And according to TyC journalist Ariel Senosiain, Scaloni and his staff, as well as the Argentine players, have yet to get their World Cup bonuses.
Scaloni’s courtship with AFA president Claudio Tapia has been seen as unwavering and mutually beneficial, ever since the former replaced Jorge Sampaoli after the 2018 World Cup. In 2019, Tapia selected Scaloni from among several high-profile candidates. At the time, he criticised the decision, considering that coaches such as Mauricio Pochettino, Diego Simeone and Marcelo Gallardo were beloved traits of fans and pundits, and that Scaloni’s only past formation enjoys as an assistant and coach of a youth team.
But with Scaloni’s reign, the national team’s logo took off, especially since the last World Cup. The AFA expanded its presence globally and took advantage of the cult of La Scaloneta, the nickname that Argentine fans gave to Scaloni’s team. The federation is now more commercially viable than ever.
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, TyC Sports reporter Gustavo Grabia reported that shortly before the national elections, Sergio Massa, the country’s economy minister and center-left presidential candidate, had asked for a photo with the national team.
Massa and Tapia are said to be close, but according to Grabia, the players had refused to serve as political pawns. Tapia then pressured Scaloni to replace his mind, to no avail. The elections ended on November 20, the day before Argentina’s election. 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 is also tension between Scaloni and Messi before the game, according to Rial. The build-up to the match at the Maracanã was marred by police violence against the contingent of Argentine fans who were travelling. Lionel Messi and his teammates approached the scrum and shouted at the Brazilian police as he beat the helpless Argentinian cheers with batons. Messi, in turn, made an executive decision, without consulting Scaloni, and took the Argentine team off the field and into the dressing room, a resolution that Rial said had agitated Scaloni and his team.
Whether or not there is a power struggle between Scaloni and Messi, it turns out that Scaloni is getting tired of the spectacle surrounding the Albiceleste, as it is not the first time he has spoken publicly about his struggles as coach of the national team.
The 2021 Copa América triumph came while South America was still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was played behind closed doors in Brazil, with players and staff from all countries sequestered for the duration of the competition.
Argentina lifted the trophy and then continued their 2022 World Cup qualification crusade four months later. In a three-game window in October, Argentina picked up seven points. He lives in Mallorca, Spain, with his wife and two young children, temporarily tempered expectations.
“I just need to go home,” he told reporters. “It’s been a long time since I’ve noticed my family. I’m not having a positive family moment right now to think about the World Cup. You have to pass. It’s been a difficult few months and I don’t need to think about anything else. We’ve played those 3 games and we’re just waiting to see what happens next.
This followed an undefeated qualifying cycle that placed Argentina as favorites in Qatar. But a tumultuous loss in the World Cup opener to Saudi Arabia briefly derailed Argentina’s path. It was a surprise defeat and a devastating blow. start the tournament. In Argentina, a defeat in the World Cup can paralyze the country. Meanwhile, Scaloni and the players were also tasked with helping Messi avoid another major failure abroad.
This has taken its toll on Scaloni, who freely displays his emotions, as evidenced by the way he cried uncontrollably after Gonzalo Montiel took the 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 Italian striker Christian Vieri and Cristian Brocchi, who played with Scaloni at Lazio from 2008 to 2013. Scaloni spoke about the strain of working in Argentina . He told Vieri and Brocchi that he had a rash on his abdomen a month after the World Cup final due to stress.
As a result, the work has taken its toll – the intellectual and physical tension and anxiety that have long been part of the fabric of Argentine football. For now, he doesn’t even look like a world number one, nor is the education of a World Cup winner Messi enough explanation to continue until 2026.
“These players have given a lot to the coaching staff and I have to think a lot about what I’m going to do,” Scaloni said after last month’s victory over Brazil. “It’s not goodbye or anything, but I still have to think because the bar is very high and it’s confusing to move forward and it’s confusing to keep winning. “
Brocchi joked on the podcast that he and Scaloni will return to Lazio together to repair the Serie A club. A long career in club football is probably the ultimate for Scaloni. At forty-five and with a World Cup trophy in hand, Scaloni will be available if he leaves Argentina next summer. The timing would be ideal for a European club looking for a new coach.
Scaloni is linked with Real Madrid, lately under Carlo Ancelotti’s control. The Italian coach is expected to leave the 14-time Champions League-winning team in time to coach Brazil at the Copa America. That would open the door for Scaloni, who knows. Spanish football is good. His spell at Deportivo La Coruña, Racing de Santander and Mallorca lasted more than two hundred games. Serie A may be another conceivable destination for Scaloni. He won it all with Argentina. Club football is the next frontier.
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Of course, you can still reconsider your resolution and stay in Argentina. Until Scaloni confirms otherwise, good luck or failure in the Copa America may motivate him to continue or convince him to move on. It’s also not uncommon for a coach to leave a position in the national team after a cycle, especially in Argentina. Scaloni has been the country’s seventh coach since 2010.
If Scaloni leaves sooner than expected, Gallardo, Simeone and Pochettino will again become names to watch.
This scenario now makes the upcoming Copa America a crossroads for Argentina. This may be Scaloni and Messi’s last festival with Argentina. On Thursday in Miami, the site of the Copa America draw, all eyes will be on Scaloni. Then, next summer, the pressure will be greater for Argentina to win a second consecutive Copa America as they will play with a big goal on their backs.
For Scaloni, who can’t seem to emotionally detach himself from racing in Argentina, perhaps he himself from that environment is precisely what he needs.
(Photo: Buda Mendes/Getty Images)