Lionel Scaloni emotional about future after Argentina's World Cup final defeat

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni ended his post-match press conference in tears following his side's defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. The 48-year-old, who guided Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, struggled to contain his emotions when asked about his plans after his contract expires this December.

I will talk to the president. I have an idea of what I would like to do. I will see out my contract and I feel the need, I don't know if something as big can be done. We need to speak this through. Lionel Scaloni

Scaloni praised his staff and players for giving their utmost until the final minute of the match. However, he admitted that the mental toll of the campaign and the difficulty of rebuilding a group of this caliber makes him uncertain about his continuation.

Bear with me, I don't know if I can continue. This place is wonderful, it is a dream place. In order to continue you need a great deal of things, especially resetting your mind, rebooting, creating a group like this again. That is very difficult to create again. Lionel Scaloni

The manager eventually stood up and apologized before leaving the room, describing the experience as "really painful."