Argentina's four best coaching candidates to replace Luis Scaloni, from Javier Mascherano to Marcelo Gallardo
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Argentina's four best coaching candidates to replace Luis Scaloni, from Javier Mascherano to Marcelo Gallardo originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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Argentina finds itself at a crossroads following its defeat in the 2026 World Cup final.
La Albiceleste enjoyed an eye-catching — if somewhat controversial — run through tournament play. The Blue-and-White showcased a flair for the dramatic throughout the knockout stages, fending off Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and England with late goals.
The Lionel Scaloni-led outfit fell short of soccer's greatest trophy, struggling to produce much of anything in a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final. It was a performance and result that left Scaloni — a two-time Copa America winner who was the architect of Argentina's 2022 World Cup triumph — in tears.
The 48-year-old is one of world soccer's most decorated international coaches. With his contract slated to expire in December, though, it's unclear what Scaloni's future prospects are.
With that, here's a look at four candidates who could catch the Argentine federation's eye should Scaloni leave at the end of his contract.
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Argentina's best coaching candidates to replace Luis Scaloni
Javier Mascherano
Mascherano is the likeliest candidate to take over if Scaloni were to step down following the expiry of his contract. The 42-year-old enjoyed a sterling run with Inter Miami and former teammate Lionel Messi, leading the Herons to the 2025 MLS Cup before resigning due to personal reasons in April 2026.
Capped 147 times by La Albiceleste, Mascherano got his coaching stripes in Argentina's youth setup. The former Barcelona midfielder served as Argentina's U20 coach before taking the reins of La Albiceleste's U-23 side for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Mascherano offered guidance to a handful of youngsters who proceeded to make the grade at the senior level, including Julian Alvarez, Giuliano Simeone and Thiago Almada.
Diego Placente
Capped 22 times by Argentina's senior national team, Placente has enjoyed a second dawn in his post-playing career, enjoying a strong run as the manager for Argentina's U-17 and U-20 teams. The 49-year-old led La Albiceleste's U-17 side to a fourth-place finish in the 2023 U-17 World Cup before spearheading the U-20s to runner-up showings in the 2025 U-20 World Cup and 2025 U-20 South American Championships.
Placente would figure to offer a pipeline for young stars like Gianluca Prestianni and Franco Mastantuono. Scaloni briefly served as Argentina's U-20 boss, holding the reins of the youth side for six games before being promoted to the senior team's dugout. Perhaps Placente can be the next in a long line of U-17 and U-20 Argentina coaches to climb to the post of La Albiceleste head coach.
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Marcelo Gallardo
A former Argentina international who appeared in the 1998 World Cup, Gallardo has established himself as one of the world's finest managers over the past decade or so.
The 50-year-old enjoyed a stunning run with boyhood club River Plate, winning more than a dozen trophies across 11 seasons with Los Millonarios.
Gallardo is out of a job, stepping away from River Plate in February. He hasn't yet tested himself at the international level. But he's arguably the most decorated Argentine manager available. His tactics are versatile and attacking, adorned by a commitment to pressing and one-touch passing. That could prove appealing for an Argentina side looking to develop a new style of play as Messi approaches the twilight of his career.
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Ariel Holan
Holan is a coaching veteran, having barked out instructions for nine sides in the past decade. The 65-year-old led Argentine giant Rosario Central to its fifth Primera Division title in 2025, using steady showings in the Apertura and Clausura tournaments to hoist the trophy instead of Boca Juniors.
Rosario Central's achievement was somewhat controversial. While Los Guerreros finished with four more points than their Buenos Aires-based adversaries, they were only awarded the accolade due to a controversial measure the Argentine Football Association put into place after the season ended.
Nevertheless, Holan's contributions to Rosario Central's success proved vital. Perhaps Argentina can attempt to coax him out of his post at Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno on a short-term basis as it turns its sights to the 2028 Copa America.
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