What is known about Real Madrid's reported interest in Scaloni | OneFootball

Lionel Scaloni has emerged on Real Madrid’s radar as a candidate to become their new head coach after the 2026 World Cup, as the club looks for a manager following Xabi Alonso’s dismissal and the unconvincing performances under interim boss Álvaro Arbeloa. Find out the Argentina manager’s stance and the chances of him remaining in charge of La Albiceleste after the World Cup.

Amid the flurry of names linked with Los Blancos on COPE’s Sunday show El Tertulión, the name of Argentina’s national team coach came up. He is well acquainted with Spanish football from his time as a player at Deportivo La Coruña, Racing Santander, and Mallorca, in addition to having been part of Jorge Sampaoli’s coaching staff at Sevilla between 2016 and 2017.

Another important factor that could tip the scales is that Scaloni has been living in Spain since retiring as a footballer, where he started a 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 hierarchy led by Florentino Pérez. The club has youngster 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 Argentina? According to TyC Sports, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia offered to extend his deal and the coach himself expressed his intention to stay, but so far there has been no discussion of figures or contract length. The most likely scenario is that serious 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 acknowledged receiving offers, but said he is still not convinced about taking on his first experience in charge of a club. “I’m not convinced about coaching a club. I’d like to, but I don’t know if in the short term. With all those messages, you have to see whether they’re even true, which is why I don’t reply and just let them pass,” he began.

In that regard, Scaloni left the door open to what might 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... From there to whether it’s true is another matter. It’s not advisable 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.