Lionel Scaloni renews Argentina contract until 2030 World Cup

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has renewed his contract with the national team through 2030, The Hindu reported. The 48-year-old made the announcement at a news conference on Thursday, November 12, 2026, alongside Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia.

Scaloni said that after discussing it with his coaching staff and those close to him, continuing was the best path forward, and that an agreement was reached very quickly. Tapia called it the best outcome for Argentine football, something everyone wanted.

Scaloni, who initially took over on an interim basis in 2018, said he has the same drive and enthusiasm as on the very first day.

Why it matters

Scaloni is the most successful manager in Argentine national team history, having won the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles alongside the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, The Hindu and Sportstar reported.

He took over in September 2018 after Argentina were eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Sportstar reported, and has been coach for eight years, building the team into one widely considered the best in Argentine history.

If he fulfils the new contract, he will become the first Argentina manager to coach the squad in three World Cups, The Hindu reported, and Tapia said Scaloni would be the Argentina manager with the most World Cups under his belt by the time his contract ended, Sportstar reported.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 23rd edition of the quadrennial international men's soccer championship, concluded on July 19 with Spain winning the championship for the second time, according to Wikipedia.

It was jointly hosted by 16 cities—11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada—and was the first to include 48 teams, an expansion from the previous 32-team format.

What happens next

Scaloni had cast doubt on his future after Argentina's defeat by Spain in the July 19 World Cup final, Sportstar and Hindustan Times reported.

Lionel Messi, the team's leading light for 20 years and instrumental to the team's success under Scaloni, retired from the national team since that loss, The Hindu reported.

Scaloni will now oversee Argentina's generational transition following Messi's international retirement and the inevitable departure of several veteran players unlikely to reach the next World Cup due to their age, The Hindu reported.

He said an important phase in the process begins now and the team will give opportunities to youngsters pushing through the ranks, The Hindu reported.

Midfielders Nicolás Paz, Franco Mastantuono, and Valentín Barco, along with forwards Matías Soulé and Gianluca Prestianni, are among the rising talents set to take on more prominent roles, The Hindu reported. Scaloni also confirmed that no one will wear Messi's iconic No.

10 jersey during the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Colombia, The Hindu reported.

Scaloni's major honours with Argentina

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Sources

• The Hindu

• Sportstar

• Photo: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)