'If all goes well, I’ll continue': Scaloni hints at extending Argentina contract as life after Messi looms

Lionel Scaloni hinted that he will remain in charge of Argentina as the three-time world champions prepare for life without Lionel Messi following their 3-0 victory over Benin at the Monumental Stadium yesterday.

Scaloni’s current contract expires in December, with the Argentine Football Association (AFA) keen to extend his deal for another World Cup cycle.

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“If all goes well, I’ll continue coaching, and the legacy Messi leaves behind is incredible.

“That’s what I’ll take away from it. There will never be anything like it on the pitch, and we are eternally grateful to him,” Scaloni said.

Asked about his future, he added briefly: “There are still no updates.”

Since taking charge in 2018, Scaloni has led the Albiceleste in 104 matches, registering 80 wins, 10 losses and 14 draws -- a win percentage of almost 77 percent, the highest among Argentina coaches.

He ended Argentina’s trophy drought by winning the 2021 Copa America, then clinched the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the Finalissima that same year, before adding the 2024 Copa America. The 48-year-old is the only Argentina coach to have won both the World Cup and the Copa America, making him the country’s most successful coach in that regard.