Lionel Scaloni faces the challenge of becoming the first coach to lead a national team to back-to-back World Cup titles in more than 60 years. With that in mind, he spoke about Argentina‘s chances, as well as the other teams he views as contenders.
During a recent interview with Argentine sports newspaper Ole, Scaloni said there are at least 10 national teams capable of competing for the title in North America 2026. “I don’t know if I’ve left some teams out. Because at a World Cup, of course, Argentina will be there. I don’t know if it will win, but those 10 or 12 teams will compete and try to reach the final,” he said.
“Spain, France, Portugal, England, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay as well, Argentina, Morocco… I don’t even know how many I’ve named, I’m already forgetting some,” the head coach continued before adding a 10th team: “Croatia, I forgot Croatia! I’m forgetting some others too.”
Among the favorites mentioned by Scaloni are the obvious contenders: the three South American nations that have won the World Cup, along with Colombia, the reigning Copa America runners-up, as well as Europe’s traditional powers and Morocco, which reached the semifinals in Qatar 2022.
Lionel Scaloni head coach of Argentina talks with Lionel Messi prior to a training session.
However, there were some notable omissions from his impromptu list. The most obvious was Germany, a four-time World Cup champion and a particularly difficult obstacle for Argentina this century, having eliminated La Albiceleste in 2006, 2010 and 2014. Other strong teams not mentioned by Scaloni were the Netherlands and Belgium.
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The challenge of defending the World Cup title
In nearly a century since the creation of the FIFA World Cup, only two countries have successfully defended their title. The first was Italy in 1934 and 1938, while the second—and most recent—was Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
Argentina will have the opportunity this summer to end that 64-year streak. “Whenever Argentina plays in a World Cup, it is always a contender. So that isn’t going to change,” Scaloni said. “Argentina is always one of the teams that helps make the World Cup what it is, that’s more than obvious.”
Scaloni’s future
Lionel Scaloni’s contract with Argentina expires on Dec. 31, making his future a topic of considerable interest, especially amid rumors of potential interest from European clubs, as was the case with Real Madrid a few months ago.
Asked about the situation, the coach remained cautious. “It will be resolved after the World Cup. Right now, our focus is on what we’re doing,” Scaloni said in the same interview. “Compared to this, everything else is minor.” However, he also offered an encouraging message regarding a possible extension: “In five minutes, if everyone agrees, we can reach an understanding.”
