"I'll stay through December, and after that I'll probably step away." Those words from Lionel Scaloni, delivered through tears after Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Spain, are about as close to a resignation speech as you get without actually resigning.
The 48-year-old has been in charge since August 2018, starting in an interim capacity before turning the job into one of the great international management runs of the modern era — Copa América titles, a World Cup, and a squad built around Messi that will take years to replicate. He knows it too. "I need to reset, to build another group like this one, and I don't think a group like this will come together again easily," he said. "It hurts my soul."
He still needs to speak with AFA president Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia before anything is official. But if that conversation ends the way Scaloni's press conference suggested, Argentina will be in the market for a new head coach before the end of the year.
Pochettino is the obvious call — but it's complicated
Mauricio Pochettino's name will be the first one floated, and for good reason. He's 54, Argentine, has managed at Spurs, PSG and Chelsea, and just led the USMNT to their best-ever World Cup — three wins, 11 goals, American records broken. He ticks every box on paper.
The catch: his contract with U.S. Soccer expired after the tournament, and discussions over a renewal are ongoing, with a decision reportedly close. If the Americans move quickly and lock him in, that door closes for the AFA. If they don't, Pochettino becomes the frontrunner for one of the more complicated jobs in international football.
Managing Argentina after Scaloni won't be a clean handover. It's a rebuild dressed up as a succession.
The other names in the frame
The AFA won't be a one-candidate operation. Several names are already in the conversation:
- Diego Simeone — The other obvious option. Almost 15 years at Atlético Madrid can't last forever, and the Argentina job is the logical endgame. Mid-season availability is the problem; don't expect a move before the summer at the earliest.
- Marcelo Gallardo — Highly regarded, currently available after his second spell at River Plate ended in February. He won 15 trophies in his first stint there, though his return in 2024 didn't recapture that form. Hungry to prove himself at a higher level.
- Eduardo Coudet — The current River Plate manager has been mentioned as a future Argentina coach. A former Philadelphia Union player in MLS, he brings a different profile to the other candidates.
- Pablo Aimar — Scaloni's assistant and a beloved figure in Argentine football. An internal promotion that would maintain continuity, if the AFA chooses stability over a bigger name.
- Diego Placente — Currently managing Argentina's U17 and U20 sides, another internal option if the federation wants to build from within.
Scaloni's parting words were both a farewell and a warning. "I'm so sorry," he told the room. For whoever takes this job next, that apology doubles as a job description.
