The former defender will conclude his time as a member of the national team's coaching staff after having accompanied the entire successful cycle of Lionel Scaloni
After eight years being part of one of the most successful cycles in the history of the Argentine National Team, Walter Samuelhas decided to put an end to his time within the coaching staff. The former defender will leave his position after 2026, resulting in a significant loss in the structure that has supported Lionel Scalonisince the early stages of his process.
The information was revealed by Gastón Edul, who confirmed that the departure of the Córdoba native is already settled. "Walter Samuel will not continue. He leaves the coaching staff of the Argentine National Team post 2026. He is leaving after 8 years", reported the journalist from TyC Sports.
Samuel joined the National Team when Scaloni took over
Samuel joined the national team's coaching staff in 2018 alongside Scaloni and has since held an important role as assistant coach. His work has been particularly related to defensive functioning and set pieces, both in offensive and defensive situations.
During these years, the former player has been a constant piece of a working team that has achieved the four most recent titles for the Albiceleste (the 2021 and 2024 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar) and reached a new World Cup final in 2026.
It is worth noting that Samuel's career as a member of coaching staffs began before his arrival in the National Team. In the 2016/17 season, he worked as an assistant at Inter Milan, where he was part of the teams of Stefano Pioli and Stefano Vecchi. Later, he was part of Pierluigi Tami's coaching staff at FC Lugano in Switzerland, until he received the opportunity to join the Argentine national team.
His departure will occur at a time of possible changes within the national team. In fact, the continuity of Scaloni at the helm of the National Team is still not confirmed. According to Edul, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) is maintaining discussions with the coach, although he has not yet received a definitive response.
In this case, the coach's decision will also be linked to "his energy and desire to rebuild a project, team, and start a new phase", as explained by the communicator. The renewal that the next process would imply will be one of the determining factors in defining whether Scaloni continues.
