Online Reporter
Lionel Scaloni will mark his 100th game as Argentina coach at the World Cup tomorrow – the latest milestone in a golden era for the Albiceleste.
The 48-year-old has transformed a team led by the incomparable Lionel Messi into serial trophy winners in South America and on the global stage.
Scaloni was a relative unknown with scant coaching experience when he replaced Jorge Sampaoli on an interim basis weeks after the 2018 World Cup.
He has since masterminded two Copa America triumphs, in 2021 and 2024, and led his team to victory in the Finalissima – an intercontinental match between the European and South American champions – in 2022.
But his crowning glory was winning a third World Cup for Argentina in Qatar in 2022, defeating France in a captivating final.
Messi’s trophy lift at Lusail Stadium marked the end of an agonising 36-year wait dating back to 1986, when Diego Maradona’s team triumphed in Mexico. Maradona himself had voiced scepticism over the appointment of Scaloni, a former defender who played for a series of clubs including Deportivo La Coruna and Lazio.
“Scaloni is a great guy, but he couldn’t even direct traffic,” were the harsh words of the Argentine great, who favoured a return for Gerardo Martino. Scaloni’s experience on the international stage was admittedly limited.
He won only seven international caps as a player, featuring briefly alongside a young Messi at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The former right-back served as Sampaoli’s assistant during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where Argentina were eliminated in the round of 16. That marked the end of the road for Sampaoli and a unique opportunity for Scaloni, whose caretaker stint turned into a glorious reign.
The Albiceleste are now also known as the “Scaloneta” in honour of their leader, who has built the most successful team on the planet in recent years. Scaloni has taken charge of 99 Argentina matches, recording 72 wins, 18 draws and nine defeats – including a 36-game unbeaten run between July 2019 and November 2022.
He will reach his century on Friday in Miami against newcomers Cape Verde in the World Cup round of 32.
Argentina’s route to a potential semifinal looks relatively favourable.
Scaloni admitted he had not expected to reach 100 matches but said he was not thinking about his legacy yet as he targets back-to-back titles. “To be honest, I haven’t really thought about it,” he said.
“It’s not that I worry about what people will say – what matters to me is that people identified with the team’s approach, with the feeling that we were a squad that truly represented its people, and nothing else.
“That alone would be enough.” – SuperSport.
