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Lionel Scaloni is reportedly set to leave the Argentina national team manager role after the Copa America next year. The coach hinted at an exit earlier this month but did not give a timeline.
As per a report by Esteban Edul of ESPN, Scaloni will remain in charge of the national team next summer. The manager will be defending the Copa America title but will leave after the tournament is done.
Scaloni spoke about his future soon after the win over Brazil earlier this month and was quoted by ESPN as saying:
"I need to think a lot about what I will do. I need this time to think. Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible and who is well ... I need to stop the ball and start thinking, I have a lot of things to think about during this time. These players have given a lot to the coaching staff and I need to think a lot about what I'm going to do."
He added:
"It's not goodbye or anything, but I need to think because the bar is very high and it's complicated to keep going and it's complicated to keep winning. These guys are making it difficult, so I need to think about it for a while. I will talk to the FA president and the players afterwards."
Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on the situation. The Spanish side are open to appointing Lionel Scaloni as their manager after Carlo Ancelotti leaves.
Lionel Scaloni backs Lionel Messi to play at the FIFA World Cup 2026
Lionel Scaloni has urged Lionel Messi to continue playing as long as he is happy on the pitch. He wants the Argentine star to be a part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He was quoted by ESPN as saying:
"I told Leo that as long as he’s happy on the pitch, he should continue playing as long as he can. He showed us that there are no limits in football, and that is amazing. In his career, he started as a striker, he played as a winger and now we see him as a midfielder."
He continued:
"He can play wherever he wants, and the team is built around him. I [Lionel Scaloni] think he can continue playing for the National Team [until 2026 World Cup], but the decision is his."
Lionel Messi has repeatedly claimed that he has no plans to play until the 2026 World Cup. Some reports suggested that he was set to retire after winning the 2022 World Cup, but the Inter Miami star claimed that he wanted to represent his country as a World Champion and kept playing.
