Argentina men’s national football team head coach Lionel Scaloni ended his press conference following the Albiceleste’s loss in the 2026 World Cup final abruptly after becoming overwhelmed with tears.

“It’ll be hard to put together another team like this,” Scaloni said before choking up. “Losing this hurts me deep in my soul.”

The Albiceleste coach said he was “proud of how [his team] played” and that they have to “give credit” to Spain for the match they played. 

He insisted that they thought the team would “make it to the end” after Spain scored, adding that Argentina had to go through “several obstacles” after losing several players due to fitness issues.

“I’m very proud of everyone; I have no complaints about any of [the Argentina players],” he said.

Asked about Messi and his potential continuity in the national team, Scaloni had nothing but praise for the Rosario player, calling him “the best football player to ever step onto a field.”

 “Leo is 39 years old; it’s incredible,” he said. “It’s obvious to me that he’ll keep playing as long as he wants to. I hope people are proud of him and the team.”

However, Scaloni did cast doubts over his continuity at the helm of the Argentine national team, saying he’ll have to “talk” with AFA President Claudio Tapia. He did clarify that he “has an idea” of what he wants to do.

“I feel the need to think things through,” he said. “I don’t know if something this big will ever be possible again.”

Scaloni said working at the national team is “a dream” for him and his coaching staff and that “a lot of things” will need to be reset to move forward. 

“We’ll have to form a squad like this, one that will likely never come together again. It hurts my soul,” he said before choking up and walking away from the conference.

Scaloni is under contract up until December 2026, which has led some to ponder if he’ll return as Argentina head coach.

Cover image: Selección Argentina twitter