The three reasons that would make Scaloni explode: is he leaving the national team?

Lionel Scaloni has cast doubt on his continuity as coach of the Argentine national team after the defeat against Spain in extra time in the 2026 World Cup final. The head coach has been in charge of the senior «Albiceleste» for almost eight years and was the main person responsible for one of the most glorious cycles in the history of the national team.

However, there are several reasons that make him doubt his future on the Argentine bench. Initially, his current contract will expire next December, and we will have to see what actually happens with the father of the «Scaloneta» later.

The AFA of Claudio «Chiqui» Tapia wants to extend his contract for another four seasons, with a substantial salary increase included. In fact, they are confident of convincing him once the situation cools down and the anger over the loss in the recent World Cup title match subsides.

Logically, being in charge of such an important national team for almost eight years also implies a mental and psychological burden that is not so easy to bear. The fact of always reaching the final stages, having Lionel Messi, who is followed by the entire football world, and leading a squad of world stars in the locker room wears anyone down.

At one point, Marcelo Bielsa acknowledged that he left the national team due to «lack of energy,» something that can easily be applied in this case as well. «I will probably stay until December and then take a break, I need to rest,» Scaloni himself said in the mixed zone after the defeat against Spain. The coaching staff understands that there is a great relationship with the squad, but at the same time, he needs to get some fresh air and change his environment to reinvent himself.

It will not be so easy to make the necessary generational change in terms of players, as Scaloni himself did after Russia 2018. This was surely the last World Cup for several foundational players of the «Scaloneta»: Messi, Nicolás Otamendi, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Nicolás Tagliafico, Giovani Lo Celso, and perhaps even Emiliano «Dibu» Martínez himself.

So, little by little, it will be the turn of young blood led by Santiago Beltrán, Giuliano Simeone, Valentín «Colo» Barco, Nicolás Paz, Franco Mastantuono, Exequiel Palacios, Thiago Almada, and José Manuel «Flaco» López. They will be accompanied by the established players who are still young enough to continue wearing this jersey: Cristian «Cuti» Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Nicolás González, Julián Álvarez, and Lautaro Martínez.

Scaloni’s parents have had health problems for quite some time, something the coach himself has made clear publicly on several occasions. Although the coach lives in Mallorca and meets with the squad every two or three months, that «reset» he mentioned after Spain also includes his personal life.

The native of Pujato needs to be closer to his inner circle, spend more time with family, and forget about football for a while. This could also weigh heavily and tip the scales toward leaving in January 2027.

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