Argentina was named as the World Champions following their thrilling victory over France in the FIFA World Cup Final. The South American team received the coveted prize as a proper testament to their hard work. But, it seems like the money is still something that the Argentine players and support staff have not received. A lot of reports floating around suggest that the Argentina Football Association (AFA) has yet not paid the players & coaching staff for their triumph.
No World Cup bonus yet for Lionel Messi & co.
The World Cup winning team additionally qualified for financial bonuses. $42 million in prize money is assured for the winner. Contrary to popular belief, not all of the money has been shared among the team members by this point.
According to Soccer News, the Argentina Football Association (AFA) has not yet awarded the World Cup bonus to the coaching staff of the Argentina National Team. Messi and co. are still waiting for their bonuses months after the World Cup. Lionel Scaloni, the coach, is even thinking about quitting because of the non-payment.
Lionel Scaloni and every member of his staff at the national camp have not received payment for their work in almost a year. Notably, there has been no explanation for the lengthy wait. Still, this is a rather shocking discovery. This could be among the factors supporting Lionel Scaloni’s wish to quit La Albiceleste.
Some rumors also say that Scaloni is thinking about quitting because Saudi Arabia has made him a very attractive offer. Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022. Following this week’s 0-1 victory over Brazil in the World Cup qualification, Scaloni voiced concerns about his future as head coach.
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Although there are a lot of rumours going around, an Argentine media sheds light on the actual circumstances. The team and staff who won the World Cup appear to still be waiting on their promised bonuses from the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
Scaloni appears to be having trouble with this and is publicly doubting his position. According to other media reports, Scaloni and the Argentine organization are at odds over political matters, and he has received a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia.
Scaloni talks about his future
There has been a lot of speculation about the future of Lionel Scaloni. He has was won the Copa America 2021 and the FIFA World Cup in 2022 for Argentina. But now, his comments have raised everybody’s eyebrows. He has hinted that he might not be looking to continue with the National Team.
Scaloni said, ‘Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible and who is well … I need to stop the ball and start thinking, I have a lot of things to think about during this time. It’s not goodbye or anything, but I need to think because the bar is very high and it’s complicated to keep going and it’s complicated to keep winning.’
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For sure, Lionel Messi and co. will be hoping that Lionel Scaloni continues as the Head Coach of the team. Cristian Romero expressed optimism on the issue. He said, ‘We are sure and hope that Scaloni will continue. Let’s see now he will have time to think, he didn’t say anything in the dressing room about it. We will try to convince him.’
