After Gonzalo Montiel scored the decisive penalty in the 2022 World Cup final, 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 had helped accomplish. Several minutes later, he broke down when a player 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. He remains the same today, as he faces the challenge of repeating 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 poor showing in Russia, where the side was eliminated in the round of 16.
"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 the 2022 World Cup. In Qatar, Scaloni weathered criticism after a disappointing opening match, revamped the team mid-tournament, and 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.
Now Scaloni must defend the title with his star player nearing retirement at 38. Brazil was the last world champion to repeat in 1962.
"The World Cup is very, very difficult. To win, a lot of things have to come together, not just playing well. It's very difficult, but not impossible," Scaloni said recently.
He made it clear to his players that being world champions didn't guarantee them a spot on the national team.
"I don't dwell on past achievements; you always have to keep looking ahead," he said. "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 due to injury.
"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."