Lionel Scaloni facts for kids
Scaloni as manager of Argentina in 2022
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 May 1978 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Pujato, Santa Fe, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Right-back, right midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Argentina (manager) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Newell's Old Boys | 12 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Estudiantes | 37 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2006 | Deportivo La Coruña | 200 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | → West Ham United (loan) | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Racing Santander | 30 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2013 | Lazio | 52 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | → Mallorca (loan) | 28 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Atalanta | 15 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 387 | (23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Argentina U20 | 7 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Argentina | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Sevilla (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Argentina (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Argentina U20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lionel Sebastián Scaloni (born May 16, 1978) is an Argentine football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the Argentina national team. Under his leadership, Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Many people consider Scaloni to be one of the best national football coaches in the world.
As a player, he was very flexible. He could play as a right-back (a defender on the right side) or a right midfielder (a player who helps both defend and attack on the right side).
Scaloni was born in Pujato, Santa Fe, Argentina. He started his playing career in 1995 with Newell's Old Boys. He spent most of his time playing in Spain, especially for Deportivo de La Coruña. There, he helped his team win the Spanish league title in 1999–2000 and the Copa del Rey in 2001–02. He played a total of 258 games and scored 15 goals in Spain's top league, La Liga. He also played for several years in Italy for teams like Lazio and Atalanta. He stopped playing football in 2015.
Internationally, Scaloni played for Argentina's under-20 team. He first played for the senior national team in 2003. He played seven games for Argentina between 2003 and 2006. He was also part of their team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Scaloni started his coaching career in 2016. He worked as an assistant coach for Sevilla and Argentina's under-20 team. In 2018, he became the main manager of the under-20 team. Later that year, he was chosen to lead the Argentina senior team. With the senior team, he led them to third place in his first big tournament, the 2019 Copa América, in Brazil. He then won the 2021 edition, which was Argentina’s first major trophy in 28 years. After that, his team beat Italy in the 2022 Finalissima.
In 2022, Scaloni led Argentina to win their third World Cup title in Qatar. This was Argentina's first World Cup win since 1986. He also won the 2024 Copa América as Argentina's manager. This means he has won three big tournaments in a row with the national team.
Contents
Playing Career
Club Football
Early Years and Success in Spain
Lionel Scaloni was born in a small town called Pujato in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. He has Italian family roots. He started his football journey in Argentina with Newell's Old Boys and then Estudiantes de La Plata. In December 1997, he moved to Spain to play for Deportivo de La Coruña.
He played regularly for Deportivo for eight and a half years. He often played on the right side of the field. He helped Depor win their first ever Spanish league title.
In January 2006, Scaloni joined Premier League team West Ham United in England on loan. He wanted to play more to improve his chances of being picked for the upcoming World Cup. He helped West Ham reach the FA Cup final, where they lost to Liverpool after a penalty shootout.
Time in Italy
After leaving West Ham, Scaloni signed a one-year contract with Racing de Santander in Spain in September 2006.
In June 2007, Scaloni moved to Italy to play for S.S. Lazio in Serie A. He later returned to Spain for a loan spell with RCD Mallorca. After that, he went back to Lazio but did not play much.
In January 2013, at 35 years old, Scaloni joined Atalanta B.C. He left the club at the end of the season but rejoined them later when he couldn't find a new team. He stopped playing football in 2015.
International Football
Scaloni first played for the Argentina national team in April 2003. He was a surprise choice for the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad. He played one game in the tournament, which was a 2–1 win against Mexico in the round of 16.
Coaching Career
Assistant Coach Role
.jpg)
In October 2016, Scaloni became part of Jorge Sampaoli's coaching team at Sevilla. When Sampaoli became the new manager for the Argentina national team, Scaloni joined him as an assistant again.
Leading Argentina
After Argentina's performance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Scaloni and Pablo Aimar were chosen to be temporary managers. In November 2018, Scaloni was confirmed as the main manager until June of the next year. This decision was met with some criticism. Some people, including football legend Diego Maradona, thought Scaloni was too inexperienced for such a big job.
In the 2019 Copa América, Scaloni led Argentina to third place. Even though they didn't win, the football association decided to extend his contract.
Scaloni then led Argentina to win the 2021 Copa América title. They beat Brazil 1–0. This was a huge moment, as it was Argentina's first major trophy in 28 years! Later that year, he was nominated for a top coaching award.
In June 2022, Scaloni's Argentina team won the 2022 Finalissima. They beat the European champions Italy 3–0 at Wembley Stadium. Before the World Cup, Argentina had a great run of 36 games without losing.
FIFA World Cup Victory
On November 22, 2022, Scaloni's team lost their first game at the World Cup in Qatar to Saudi Arabia. This ended their amazing 36-game unbeaten streak. However, they quickly recovered. They won their next group games against Mexico (2–0) and Poland (2–0) to reach the knockout stages.
Argentina then beat Australia (2–1) in the round of 16. They won against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout. After beating Croatia 3–0 in the semi-finals, Argentina reached the World Cup final.
Scaloni led Argentina to win their third FIFA World Cup title in the final against France. The game was a thrilling 3–3 draw after extra time, and Argentina won 4–2 in a penalty shootout. With this win, Lionel Scaloni became one of the youngest managers to win the World Cup. His success was a big surprise to many, especially since he faced a lot of criticism when he first got the job. People started saying he had the "Midas' touch", meaning everything he touched turned to gold.
Continued Success
In November 2023, Scaloni led Argentina to a 1–0 win against Brazil. This was Brazil's first ever home defeat in World Cup qualification games. He then guided his country to win their 16th Copa América title in the 2024 tournament. They beat Colombia 1–0 in the final after extra time. Scaloni was praised for his smart substitutions in that game, as the winning goal came from players he brought on.
Style of Management
Lionel Scaloni is known as one of the best national coaches in the world because of his success with the Argentina team.
Scaloni has said that Carlo Ancelotti is a coach he really looks up to. He tries to coach Argentina in a similar way.
The national press in Argentina has nicknamed the national team 'Scaloneta'. This name is a fun way to refer to the team under Scaloni's leadership.
Scaloni's coaching style focuses on making sure the players feel like a strong, united team. He encourages everyone to get along and communicate well. He also makes sure every player knows their role and how important they are to the team's success.
Personal Life
Lionel Scaloni has both Argentine and Italian citizenship.
His older brother, Mauro, also played football for Deportivo's reserve team. Lionel and his wife, Elisa Montero, have two sons.
In April 2019, Scaloni had a cycling accident in Majorca, Spain. He was discharged from the hospital a few hours later after receiving treatment for minor injuries.
Honours
Player Achievements
Deportivo La Coruña
- La Liga: 1999–2000 (Spanish League Champions)
- Copa del Rey: 2001–02 (Spanish Cup Winners)
- Supercopa de España: 2000, 2002 (Spanish Super Cup Winners)
West Ham United
- FA Cup runner-up: 2005–06
Argentina U20
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 1997 (World Champions)
Manager Achievements
Argentina U20
- 2018 COTIF Tournament
Argentina
- FIFA World Cup: 2022 (World Champions)
- Copa América: 2021, 2024 (South American Champions)
- CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022 (Champions of Europe vs. South America)
Individual Awards
- IFFHS Men's World's Best National Coach: 2022, 2023
- The Best FIFA Men's Coach: 2022
- South American Coach of the Year: 2022
- Panchina d'Oro: 2023
Images for kids
-
Scaloni as a Deportivo player
-
Scaloni, as an assistant coach, celebrating with the team after Argentina qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
-
Scaloni managing Argentina in 2022
See also
In Spanish: Lionel Scaloni para niños
- List of Argentina national football team managers
