Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has revealed he is considering stepping down from his role after five years in charge, following his side’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Brazil in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.
The 45-year-old made the surprise admission after the historic win at the Maracanã, which marked Argentina’s first-ever away victory over Brazil in World Cup qualification and moved the reigning world champions two points clear at the top of the South American standings.
Scaloni, who guided Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, said he needs time to reflect on his future, citing the immense demands of the job.
“Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible and who is well,” Scaloni said. “I need to stop the ball and start thinking. I have a lot of things to think about during this time.
“It’s not goodbye or anything like that, but I need to think because the bar is very high. It’s complicated to keep going and it’s complicated to keep winning. These players are making it difficult, so I need to think about it for a while. I will talk to the FA president and the players afterwards.”
Scaloni took over as Argentina manager in August 2018, succeeding Jorge Sampaoli after a brief spell in charge of the under-20 side. Under his leadership, Argentina ended a 28-year wait for a major trophy by winning the Copa America in 2021. That success was followed by a dominant 3-0 victory over European champions Italy in the Finalissima at Wembley in June 2022.
Later that year, Scaloni crowned his tenure by leading Argentina to their third World Cup title, and their first since 1986, cementing his legacy as one of the nation’s most successful coaches.
Despite Scaloni’s uncertainty, players have expressed strong support for him to remain in charge. Argentina and Tottenham defender Cristian Romero said the squad would do everything possible to convince him to stay.
“We are sure and hope that Scaloni will continue,” Romero said. “He didn’t say anything in the dressing room about it. Now he will have time to think, and we will try to convince him.”
Tuesday’s match in Rio was marred by crowd trouble, with the game delayed by around 30 minutes after clashes between fans and police broke out during the national anthems. However, Argentina maintained their focus on the pitch to secure a landmark victory.
As Scaloni weighs his future, Argentine football now waits anxiously to see whether the man who restored the nation to the summit of world football will continue his remarkable journey on the sidelines.
