Argentina agrees with Scaloni on renewing his contract

Lionel Scaloni is close to continuing his journey with the Argentina national team after reaching a verbal agreement with the Argentina Football Association to renew his contract, pending the completion of the official procedures after the 2026 World Cup . ESPN reported that the two parties reached an agreement on the contract extension before the team's arrival in the United States, but Scaloni preferred to postpone the official signing of the contracts so that he could fully focus on leading the team in its quest to defend its World Cup title . According to the report, the new contract will extend until 2031, ensuring the 48-year-old coach remains with "La Albiceleste" until the 2030 World Cup finals, which will be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with the opening matches taking place in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay . Scaloni is preparing for a significant milestone in his coaching career, as the match against Cape Verde in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup will be his 100th match in charge of the Argentina national team . Since taking over as national team coach in 2018, succeeding Jorge Sampaoli, Scaloni has successfully guided Argentina back to the winners' podium, leading them to victory in the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the 2022 Faenalísima, before retaining the Copa América title in 2024. The Argentina national team is performing exceptionally well in the 2026 World Cup, having finished top of their group with wins against Algeria (3-0), Austria (2-0), and Jordan (3-1). They hope to continue their run when they face Cape Verde, and will then face the winner of the Australia-Egypt match in the quarterfinals, should they qualify.