A calming presence under pressure

After Gonzalo Montiel scored the decisive penalty in the final of the 2022 World Cup, giving Argentina its third star with a victory over France, coach Lionel Scaloni didn't celebrate, remaining still, silent, as if oblivious to the feat he himself had helped to accomplish. Several minutes later, he broke down when one of his players approached him, hugged him, and whispered: "We are world champions."

Scaloni almost never loses his cool. He didn't when he was bombarded with criticism for his lack of experience while leading Argentina. Nor did he when Kylian Mbappe's goals threatened the country's World Cup hopes four years ago. And he remains the same today, as he faces the challenge of trying to repeat as a World Cup champion.

Those who know him say Scaloni learned to control his temper thanks to a hobby outside of soccer. Since retiring as a player, he dedicates two to three hours a day to cycling through the mountains of Mallorca, the Spanish island where he lives, or along the trails of his hometown of Pujato in Argentina's northwest.

"On the bike, you can think about your team, your opponent, how to prepare for the match. It really clears my head. I use it as therapy," Scaloni said in several interviews.

In less than two weeks, Scaloni will become the third coach to lead Argentina into consecutive World Cups, following in the footsteps of Cesar Luis Menotti (1978 and 1982) and Carlos Bilardo (1986 and 1990), both also champions. But the youngest of the three doesn't believe he deserves comparisons to the others.

"I don't think we're on the same level. They have established careers, they defined an era," Scaloni has said repeatedly.

Earning his place

With no prior experience of managing professional teams, Scaloni took over the team on an interim basis in 2018 after Argentina's debacle in Russia, where the side was eliminated in the round of 16. Meanwhile, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) was considering Mauricio Pochettino or Diego Simeone as candidates for the senior national team.

"Scaloni? He can't even direct traffic," Diego Maradona, who was instrumental in Argentina winning the title in 1986, said at the time.

The inexperienced coach got the nod, and Argentina went on to win the 2021 Copa America and successfully navigated the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.

In Qatar, Scaloni weathered a storm of criticism after a disappointing opening match against Saudi Arabia, revamped the team mid-tournament with the addition of then-rookies Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez, and, most importantly, unleashed the best version of Lionel Messi.

"The criticism was normal, I hadn't coached anywhere. (Maradona) wasn't far off," Scaloni acknowledged shortly after lifting the cup.

Scaloni knows the demands will now be the same or even greater. He will have to defend the title with his star player nearing retirement at 38, while also dealing with turmoil within the Argentine soccer organization. Brazil was the last world champion to repeat in 1962.

"The World Cup is very, very difficult. To win a World Cup, a lot of things have to come together, not just playing well," Scaloni said in a recent interview with CONMEBOL. "It's very difficult, but not impossible."

Scaloni made it clear to his players that being world champions didn't guarantee them a place on the national team and demanded they never let their guard down.

"I don't dwell on past achievements; you always have to keep looking ahead," he said in late 2025. "With this jersey, you don't have time to relax and think your place is secure."

The Albiceleste again won the Copa America in 2024 and finished first in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, overcoming the absence of Messi, who missed several matches due to physical problems.

All but six of the 2022 squad were included by Scaloni in his preliminary 55-player World Cup roster.

An attempt to resign

After the victory over Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers in November 2023, Scaloni shocked fans when he cast doubt on his future.

"It's not goodbye, but I need to think, because the bar is set very high and it's difficult to continue."

Scaloni, however, remained in his position, but rumors circulated of alleged discontent between him and some players due to their unprofessional behavior during the team's training camp before an earlier loss to Uruguay in the qualifiers.

Meanwhile, the AFA leadership faces accusations of corruption and growing internal discontent over changes to the league format and refereeing decisions.

World Cup preparations have also been questioned, with the AFA organizing friendlies against low-ranked teams like Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Angola, Mauritania and Zambia. Argentina's last two tests will be this week against Honduras and Iceland, neither of which qualified.

The coach, who is negotiating a contract extension, avoided complaining publicly. "Playing against the best doesn't guarantee anything, and neither does this. We have to face whatever comes and be positive," he said. "The results will show whether we made the right call or not."

Argentina will open in Kansas City against Algeria on June 16 in Group J. They will face Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27.

Scaloni remains calm, just as he did four years ago. He knows full well the expectation on him to defend the title.

"We're aware that our opponents will play us differently because we're the reigning champions. The important thing is that we'll be there. After that, it's football, and anything can happen."