What we know about Real Madrid’s reported interest in Scaloni | OneFootball

Lionel Scaloni appeared on Real Madrid’s radar to become their new head coach after the 2026 World Cup, as the club is looking for a manager following Xabi Alonso’s dismissal and the unconvincing performances under Álvaro Arbeloa in an interim role. Find out the stance of the man in charge of the Argentina national team and the chances of him remaining at the helm of La Albiceleste after the World Cup.

Amid the parade of names being floated for Los Blancos on COPE’s Sunday show El Tertulión, the name of Argentina’s national team coach came up. He knows Spanish football well from his time as a player at Deportivo La Coruña, Racing Santander and Mallorca, as well as from being part of Jorge Sampaoli’s coaching staff at Sevilla between 2016 and 2017.

Another significant factor that could tip the scales is that Scaloni has already been living in Spain since retiring as a footballer, where he started his family. He currently lives with his wife and children in El Toro, a small town in the municipality of Calvià on the island of Mallorca, 716 kilometers from the Spanish capital.

Despite the mention and reports that he was supposedly already in talks with Los Blancos, people close to Scaloni flatly deny having made contact with the club’s board, led by Florentino Pérez, which has young Franco Mastantuono among its ranks and appears set to trigger its buyback option to bring back Nico Paz; two players who are in Scaloni’s plans for the national team and have a strong chance of making the World Cup squad.

At the same time, what is known about his possible renewal with the Argentina national team? According to TyC Sports, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia offered to extend his deal and the coach himself showed his intention to stay, but so far there has been no discussion of figures or the length of the new contract. The most likely scenario is that advanced talks will take place after the 2026 World Cup. It should be noted that his current contract runs until mid-this year, that is, until the end of the World Cup.

In June 2025, Scaloni himself admitted to receiving offers but said he is still not convinced about having his first experience managing a club. “I’m not convinced about coaching any club. I’d like to, but I don’t know about the short term. With all those messages, you have to see whether they’re true, which is why I don’t answer and just let them pass,” he began.

In that regard, Scaloni left the door open to whatever may happen once Argentina’s World Cup campaign is over, the last tournament covered by his current contract with the national team: “After the World Cup, we’ll see. My mind is focused on the national team. The football world is complicated, and sometimes it’s not good to get involved in those things. In my case, I know I’m here until the World Cup. There are a lot of people around offering you things... Whether they’re real is another matter. It’s not convenient because it distracts you,” the 47-year-old boss made clear.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.