With reports claiming unpaid bonuses, Lionel Scaloni has reportedly left the door open to continue as Argentina head coach. Lionel Scaloni‘s continuity as Argentina‘s head coach has been cast into serious doubt following a series of internal complications, including impending departures within his coaching staff. However, despite widespread speculation regarding unpaid federation bonuses, reports indicate that Scaloni remains open to extending his contract at the helm of the national team. Following Argentina‘s defeat in the 2026 World Cup final, Scaloni explicitly questioned his long-term future, even as his current deal runs through December. “I will honor my contract and then I’ll see. The truth is I feel the need to evaluate everything, because I don’t know if I’m going to be able to replicate something of this magnitude,” he stated during his post-match press conference. Lionel Messi’s departure from international football has reshaped the national team landscape, delivering a major shockwave to AFA leadership and Scaloni’s long-term planning. Additionally, once his contract expires in December, assistant coach Walter Samuel plans to step down to begin his own head-coaching career, removing a core pillar from Scaloni’s technical staff. Nevertheless, according to reporting from TyC Sports, formal contract extension negotiations between Scaloni and AFA are progressing. While federation leadership initiated dialogue, the manager has yet to issue a formal decision, with resolution expected over a extended timeline rather than the immediate future. Lionel Scaloni, Head coach of Argentina hugs AFA president Claudio Tapia after winning the 2024 Copa America. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) No financial issues on Scaloni’s side Despite key departures like Messi and Samuel, AFA executives are working to resolve operational challenges, particularly on the financial side. Recent reports suggested the federation owed significant back pay in performance bonuses to players and staff, creating friction between team leadership and executives. However, TyC Sports reports that all accounts remain in compliance, clarifying that 2026 World Cup bonuses are subject to a standard 180-day payout window following the tournament’s conclusion. Furthermore, sources close to Scaloni’s inner circle express optimism regarding his willingness to extend his stay with the national team. No friendlies yet scheduled for Argentina Few managers possess a deeper understanding of Argentina’s roster transition than Scaloni, though the lack of confirmed top-tier opposition for upcoming windows remains a point of contention. To complicate matters further, with an expanded international window scheduled in less than three weeks, AFA have yet to formally announce opponents after missing an initial launch target. Reporting from ESPN indicates Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin have emerged as primary candidates for Argentina’s autumn slate. However, scheduling lower-ranked opponents presents a point of friction in contract discussions for a manager seeking elite competition. Meanwhile, Moroccan publication Al Mountakhab reported discussions for a potential fixture against Morocco, though AFA’s preference to host matches on domestic soil presents logistical hurdles.
Walter Samuel is reportedly set to leave Lionel Scaloni's Argentina coaching staff after 2026 to pursue his own head coaching career in Europe. Lionel Scaloni is set to lose one of his longest-serving assistants, as Walter Samuel has already decided to step away from Argentina’s coaching staff once his current cycle wraps up at the end of 2026, according to Gaston Edul of TyC Sports, closing out an eight-year run alongside Scaloni. Edul reported that Samuel’s exit is already resolved internally, with the departure set to take effect once the post-2026 cycle begins. This could turn out to be one of the factors weighing on Scaloni’s own decision about whether to renew his contract with the AFA, which remains unresolved. Edul tied the coach’s continuity to whether he still has the energy and desire to rebuild a team and start a new stage of the project, a rebuild that would now have to happen without one of his most trusted lieutenants regardless of what Scaloni himself decides. Samuel’s departure would mark the end of a partnership that delivered four titles, the 2021 and 2024 Copa America, the 2022 Finalissima and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, along with a run to the 2026 World Cup final. Lionel Scaloni and Walter Samuel during a FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier. (Getty Images) Whether or not Scaloni stays on, his technical staff will need to be at least partially rebuilt for whatever comes next, adding one more layer of uncertainty to Argentina‘s post-Messi era. Samuel eyes a head coaching career of his own Samuel’s departure from Argentina isn’t just about closing a chapter, it’s about opening a new one. According to reports, the former defender wants to launch his own career as a head coach once his AFA contract expires, with Europe identified as his preferred destination for a first opportunity in charge of a first team. Before joining Scaloni’s staff in 2018, Samuel already had experience on the touchline, working as an assistant at Inter Milan during the 2016-17 season under Stefano Pioli and Stefano Vecchi, and later as part of Pierluigi Tami’s coaching staff at Switzerland’s FC Lugano. Within the Argentina setup, he became known for his work on the team’s defensive structure and set pieces, a specialty that earned him the trust of Scaloni’s staff throughout an eight-year run that produced four major titles.
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