World Cup winner Lionel Scaloni: “The arrival of foreign coaches has enriched MLS”

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni took time out of his preparation ahead of this summer’s Copa America 2024 tournament to analyze Major League Soccer on the eve of the 2024 campaign getting underway as Leo Messi’s Inter Miami face Real Salt Lake in the season opener on 21 February.

Messi will team up with Scaloni and the rest of the Albiceleste squad in June with Argentina involved the opening game of the 2024 Copa America tournament at the Mercedes Benz Stadium (home to Atlanta United and a 2026 World Cup venue) on 21 June.

Full screen

Scaloni on the evolution of the league:

“Well, the truth is that in the last few years MLS has improved a lot and has started to look at young players with great projection and who have a lot of talent. The case of Thiago Almada, (Alan) Velasco and many, many more, I think I see it as a good thing. I see it as a growing league and that the younger talents can contribute to the growth.

As we have seen, in the case of Thiago, he was called up with Argentina and became a world champion. I think it’s a comPetitive league and it’s going to grow, so I don’t see it as an impediment to being in the national team.”

Full screen

Almada’s quality

“Well, we already knew Thiago previously as we we had him in the youth teams and we knew very well his quality and his style of playing and well, the decision in this case was not difficult because he is a player who links-up well, who plays very well with the ball and fitted in very well with the team so well. His overall contribution was very good and besides being a great player, he is a great guy, very professional and so it’s a pleasure for us to have him onboard”.

The arrival of international coaches

“Well, I think the high point has been the foreign coaches and their different vision of playing the Game has enriched the league.

Full screen

I feel that there are teams that play in a very European way and that makes the league competitive and there are other teams that still conserve a little more of the Latin tradition and that makes the League a more exciting and intriguing”.

Coaching in MLS, why not?

“Yes, I would like to coach in MLS one day and I don’t see any issue with that. I’ve always liked challenges and new tasks, so why not?”