FIFA found itself smoothing over an awkward moment this weekend after Lionel Scaloni, the coach who delivered Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph, was mistakenly asked to wear protective gloves before touching the trophy during the 2026 World Cup draw.
The mix-up unfolded at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Dec. 5, when Scaloni, invited as a guest of honor, stepped onstage to help unveil the groups for football’s first 48-team World Cup.
Instead of a hero’s welcome, he was handed a pair of white cotton gloves – the standard safeguard for non-champions who handle the gold-plated trophy.
Scaloni froze, later telling reporters the officials “didn’t even know who I was,” a remark that instantly ignited social media.
Clips of the coach awkwardly sliding on the gloves ricocheted across X, spawning memes that cast him as a secret agent guarding a classified relic.
Recognizing the misstep, FIFA President Gianni Infantino moved quickly.
At a follow-up event in Miami on Dec. 6, he called Scaloni onstage and issued a public apology – half sincere, half tongue-in-cheek.
“I apologize on behalf of FIFA. I didn’t know,” Infantino said, placing the trophy directly into Scaloni’s bare hands. “Of course, world champions can touch the Cup. What an outrage! When you’re a world champion, you look younger every day.”
Scaloni laughed off the moment, later telling Argentine reporters that “it was a small thing,” and that Infantino’s gesture “made everything right.” Still, the gaffe drew criticism from former players, who called it a “careless oversight” for a coach who restored Argentina to the summit of world football.
Scaloni’s path to this stage is now legend.
Thrust into the interim role in 2018 after Jorge Sampaoli’s departure, he steadied a fractured squad, built a cohesive identity, and ended Argentina’s 28-year title drought with the 2021 Copa America.
A year later in Qatar, he masterminded a tense, unforgettable final against France to claim Argentina’s third World Cup.
Now 47, Scaloni holds a 72% win rate over 80 matches and remains under contract through 2026, overseeing a squad that blends veterans such as Angel Di Maria with rising stars like Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez. Messi, now retired from internationals, remains an influential ambassador around the squad.
The expanded 2026 World Cup – co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada – will stretch across 104 matches in 16 stadiums, bringing a fresh format of 12 groups of four.
The top two teams and eight best third-place finishers will reach a new round of 32.
Argentina landed in Group J with a balanced mix of opponents: Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
Each opponent presents a different puzzle: Algeria’s physical swagger, Austria’s structured midfield, Jordan’s deep-block resilience. But Argentina, unbeaten throughout 2024, enter as clear favorites to top the group.
The tournament’s prize pool has swelled past $2 billion, with the eventual champions expected to net about $44 million – 50% more than in 2022 – alongside mandatory rest days built in to reduce strain during the North American summer.
