Lionel Messi to bid farewell to Argentina on 6 October, Scaloni expected to stay

Lionel Messi will bid farewell to the Argentina national team on 6 October in a friendly against Benin at River Plate’s stadium in Buenos Aires. At the same time, decisions surrounding Lionel Scaloni are moving forward: the coach will remain with the Albiceleste, according to reported information.

Scaloni had nevertheless left doubt over the continuation of his tenure after the defeat to Spain in the 2026 Cup final on 19 July. After receiving his runners-up medal that day, he said emotionally: “I’m going to speak with the president. I have an idea of what I want to do. My contract ends in December and we will see. I don’t know whether it will be possible to do something greater than this; we have to see.”

As the weeks have passed, with the disappointment of the defeat absorbed and time providing perspective, Scaloni is nevertheless close to extending his contract, according to reported information. Cristian “Cuti” Romero has also called for him to remain at the helm of the national team. On arriving at Ezeiza airport to join the training camp preparing for friendlies against Bolivia on 30 September, Burkina Faso on 3 October and Benin on 6 October, the Atlético centre-back said: “Let’s hope Scaloni stays. He is the main person in building this national team.”

Nico Paz, of Cesc Fàbregas’s Como, also backed the coach: “He is the one who gave me my debut and I hope he stays.”

The agreement with Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, president of the Argentine Association, will cover two additional years, through to the 2028 Copa América, with an option for another two years through to the 2030 Cup. Scaloni, 48, took charge of Argentina in August 2018, replacing Jorge Sampaoli after the team’s round-of-16 elimination from the 2018 Cup against France (4-3). With no previous coaching experience, he has since led the Albiceleste’s most successful cycle, winning two Copa Américas in 2021 and 2024, the Finalissima against Italy in 2022 and the 2022 Cup.