Lionel Scaloni and AFA president Claudio Tapia have begun official talks over renewing the head coach's contract with the Argentina national team. The meeting between the federation chief and the manager took place on Friday in Tapia's office at the Lionel Andrés Messi training complex in Ezeiza, launching a long-awaited process.
Scaloni, who has been in charge for eight years, had publicly denied any developments regarding his future on Wednesday. "No hay novedades sobre mi renovación" (There is no news about my renewal), the 48-year-old coach stated then. His stance appeared more flexible than in the immediate aftermath of the painful 2026 World Cup final loss to Spain in New Jersey, an emotional blow Scaloni himself has described as strong.
The Path to a Deal
The willingness to talk, however, was always there. Tapia, returning from a CONMEBOL meeting in Asunción, had previously hinted that continuity was nearly agreed under a 2+2 year scheme, covering through the 2028 Copa América and potentially the 2030 World Cup. The first formal contact was slightly delayed because Scaloni had a dentist appointment, a minor hiccup that did not alter the plans.
"Las ganas están, este es un lugar soñado, pero no me reuní con nadie: lo que sale en los medios es totalmente falso" (The desire is there, this is a dream job, but I haven't met with anyone: what's coming out in the media is totally false), Scaloni said before the sit-down. Now, with the meeting held, the focus shifts to the negotiation table. The manager has made it clear his wish to stay is strong, but that many aspects beyond economics need discussion. "Maybe an unnecessary fuss is being made about the whole continuity issue," he reflected, adding that public pleas from players for him to stay are unnecessary and would not influence the project.
Context and the Next Challenge
The immediate work, however, does not stop. The national team, which sits first in its World Cup qualifying group with a perfect 9 points from 3 games, is already looking ahead to its next fixture. They host Bolivia on October 1st, a match for which the squad arrives on a run of four wins in its last five outings, having scored eight goals and conceded just one in the group stage.
Scaloni, who described his role as a "privileged place", has also spoken realistically about natural cycles, referencing the departures of figures like Diego Maradona and the eventual retirement of Lionel Messi. The captain, incidentally, is the top scorer this cycle with 8 goals in 8 appearances, a key stat available on our stats page. The coach does not want anyone to take his continuation for granted, but the conditions for a deal are now on the table. The AFA confirmed the start of talks via its official account, ending a week of speculation with a concrete step toward the future. Fans can follow the preparation for the Bolivia match on our fixtures schedule.
The original report is at Clarin Deportes
