Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni admitted he nearly stepped away from his role after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, citing the mental exhaustion he endured during those months. However, he said he has since found a personal and professional balance that now allows him to feel calmer in the job.

Scaloni and the pressure after the World Cup

In an interview with AFA Estudio, recorded in his hometown of Pujato in the province of Santa Fe, the coach reflected on the period immediately after the World Cup.

“After Qatar there was a moment when I was burned out and needed to disconnect. Today I’m much more relaxed,” Scaloni said, making it clear that success can also bring a heavy emotional toll.

The Albiceleste coach explained that even after leading Argentina to its third World Cup title—after 1978 and 1986—he never saw himself as more than a fortunate coach. “The best thing that ever happened to me was winning the World Cup with the boys, but nothing more than that. I’ve always been clear that you have to keep balance both in victory and in defeat,” he affirmed, staying true to his low-profile style.

Humble beginnings and life after football

The former player of Deportivo La Coruña, Mallorca, and other clubs also looked back on his early years, marked by sacrifices and constant travel. “There were many better than me, but they stayed behind because they didn’t like traveling. Great players didn’t make it because they didn’t have someone to go with them,” he reflected.

Speaking about his retirement in 2015, he admitted the process wasn’t easy but credited his wife’s support: “Nobody prepares you for leaving football. I thought I would be worse off, but she understood the situation and helped me a lot.”

To channel his energy, Scaloni turned to cycling as his new outlet. “When you take away a piece like football, you have to replace it with something else. For me, it was the bike—I needed to train and feel active,” he said.

What’s next for the Albiceleste

The Argentina national team, already qualified for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will play its final qualifying matches in early September against Venezuela and Ecuador. Scaloni approaches this stage with a renewed spirit, convinced that the key to staying on is learning to keep calm and “unplug” when the pressure becomes overwhelming.