Argentina’s Scaloni Lists World Cup 2026 Contenders Including Morocco and Portugal

Lionel Scaloni, the head coach of Argentina’s national team, believes that the competition for the 2026 World Cup title will be open to numerous possibilities, given that many teams possess the capabilities to advance through the tournament and contend for the trophy.

Scaloni emphasized that the defending champion will be among the top contenders for the title. However, he dismissed the notion of any team having an absolute advantage prior to the tournament, highlighting that the technical differences between major teams have become very narrow.

In comments reported by Argentine newspaper “Olé,” Scaloni mentioned that between 10 and 12 teams have the potential to reach the final. He confirmed that Argentina would be among those teams, but predicting a champion before the competition begins remains a challenging task.

When discussing key competitors, Scaloni pointed out several nations he believes could progress far in the tournament, including Spain, France, Portugal, England, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, and Morocco.

The Argentine coach noted that his list does not end with these names; he later mentioned Croatia as another team deserving of consideration in the competitive landscape. He acknowledged there are other nations worthy of being in contention that did not come to mind during his remarks.