Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni has extended his contract, meaning his term will last until 2030.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced on Thursday that it has extended the contract of 48-year-old national team coach Lionel Scaloni. Scaloni will remain in his position until the end of the 2030 World Cup, after his original contract expires on December 31 this year.

During his playing career, Scaloni won one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey title, and two Spanish Super Cup titles with Deportivo La Coruña. He was also a member of the Argentine national team for the 2006 World Cup. Shortly after retiring, he was invited to become Jorge Sampaoli's assistant coach, and followed him to Seville and the Argentine national team.

In August 2018, Scaloni officially succeeded Sampaoli as Argentina's head coach. After taking office, he worked closely with Lionel Messi to create the most glorious golden age of Argentine football.

To date, Argentina, under Scaloni's leadership, has accumulated a record of 81 wins, 14 draws, and 10 losses. They have also won the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 UEFA Europa League, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2024 Copa America, and finished as runners-up in the 2026 World Cup.

After finalizing the contract extension, Scalonian excitedly stated at a press conference: "I am very happy to thank the president of the Argentine Football Association and all my colleagues for their efforts in making this possible. Although I am currently facing some difficulties, the contract extension brings me genuine satisfaction."

“To this day, I still have the same motivation and enthusiasm I had on my first day in office. I am very happy to be able to stay on. After careful consideration and full discussion with the coaching staff and those around me, we believe that the best option is to move forward. We quickly reached a consensus.”

“I am very grateful for everyone’s support. Without a doubt, the fans were a major factor in my decision to stay on. I want to continue to bring joy to the fans when they watch the national team play, and I hope their happiness will continue.”

“From now on, we have entered an important phase. We will provide opportunities for emerging young players. We need to be patient – although they have great potential, they may not yet have reached the level of Messi, Angel Di Maria, and Nicolás Otamendi. Young players need everyone's understanding and support.”

“I haven’t spoken to Leo (Messi) yet, and I hope he’s happy that I’m staying on. He’s irreplaceable. We’ll try to maintain a similar style of play. It will be very difficult to build a squad without him. However, we have to adapt slowly. The fans also need to accept the fact that he’s no longer playing and all the impact he’s had.”

"Argentina must move forward. Our task is to try to find a way for the team to maintain its consistent tactical style even without him."

Image source: Internet/AFA official website