BUENOS AIRES (AP) — From a farewell that seemed all but certain to a situation where the possibility of continuing remains open.
Lionel Scaloni, who hinted his tenure as Argentina coach was over following the loss in the World Cup final, said Thursday he is willing to negotiate an extension of his contract, which expires in December.
“We will talk — there is every willingness to sit down,” Scaloni told reporters after a training session at the national team complex in Ezeiza, ahead of friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin.
“There is certainly a desire to be here, but there are a lot of aspects we need to discuss with the president” of the Argentine Football Association, Claudio Tapia.
Scaloni’s remarks came after several Argentine national team players publicly called for him to stay, including the new captain, Cristian Romero, who is taking over the armband following the international retirement of Lionel Messi.
Scaloni is the architect of the most successful era in Argentine history, featuring a World Cup title (2022) and two Copa América victories (2021 and 2024)
He indicated he would speak with Tapia in the coming days.
“It’s a dream come true, but that doesn’t mean I have to cling to the job forever. There are certain conditions we need to discuss with the president, and we’ll see if we can reach an agreement,” he added.
When asked whether the renewal depended on financial or sporting factors, the coach replied, “A bit of everything.”
Argentina will face Bolivia on Sept. 30 at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba province and will then take on Burkina Faso and Benin on Oct. 3 and 6, respectively, at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
The friendly against Benin will serve as the occasion for the 39-year-old Messi to appear for his final match in his national team’s jersey, following his announcement in late August that he was ending his international career.
“For me, getting to coach him was the ultimate experience. It was a dream. I told him so, and I’ll say it for the rest of my life. There will never be anyone like him,” Scaloni said. “It’s very rare for a player like that to come along —not just because of what he does on the pitch, but because of everything he conveys off it. Let’s enjoy this.”
In the last World Cup — the sixth of his career — Messi played all eight matches and scored eight goals. He concluded his national team career as its all-time leading scorer with 125 goals, 21 of which came in World Cups.
Messi, who holds the record with eight Ballon d’Or awards, is nominated for the prize to be presented on Oct. 26.
“After the World Cup he just played, there isn’t much more to add," Scaloni said. "If the award is for the best player, there’s no doubt. It’s already spoken for; the statistics prove it. As long as he’s on a football pitch, it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t deserve it.”
Scaloni used the squad selection for the upcoming friendlies to begin the transition following the retirements of Messi, defender Nicolás Otamendi, and other players.
“These matches are an opportunity for the young players to make their mark. If these youngsters are here, it’s because they deserve it. I hope they make the most of it,” the coach said.
The new call-ups include defenders Tomás Palacios (Estudiantes), Román Vega (Zenit), and Valentín Gómez (Betis); midfielders Tobías Andrada (River Plate), Ezequiel Fernández (Bayer Leverkusen), and Santiago Simón (Toluca, Mexico); and winger Leonel Flores (Boca Juniors).
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi watches the replay of Nashville's goal during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
FILE - Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni speaks during a news conference ahead of the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina in New York on July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
Israel's increasingly isolated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took center stage at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, defending his decision to attack Iran as an easy one.
Hamas said it was ready to move forward on a Gaza peace agreement, while a top European Union official said only a small amount of the funds needed to rebuild the Gaza Strip has been collected.
Here is a look at the latest news from the Middle East. More coverage of the U.N. General Assembly is available here.
Allegations of Israeli genocide in Gaza are “the biggest lie of the century,” Netanyahu told world leaders in a defiant speech before the U.N. General Assembly.
Netanyahu's appearance in the hall was met with a mix of cheers, boos and mass walkouts. Scores of delegates trooped out and a majority of seats sat empty as he spoke.
“If there are any other moral cowards who have not yet left the hall, please do so now,” Netanyahu said.
His voice rising in emphasis, Netanyahu said attacking Iran “was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make” and denounced as “moral cowards” delegates who walked out of the hall.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was forced to address the U.N. in a prerecorded video after the United States again denied him a visa to attend the General Assembly.
The 90-year-old leader’s popularity at home and relevance abroad have both waned. But in his remarks, Abbas made clear he did not intend to quietly accept being sidelined.
“We will not leave our homeland. We will not accept displacement. And we will not allow anyone to decide our future on our behalf,” Abbas said.
Though world leaders have repeatedly invoked the plight of Palestinians in speeches throughout the week, Abbas urged the international community to take more tangible action against Israel.
It was the second straight year Abbas was denied a visa.
A Hamas spokesman said the group is ready to move forward with the next steps of a peace agreement, after Trump’s Board of Peace unveiled a six-month, $2.45-billion plan for Gaza's reconstruction.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem expressed the Palestinian militant group’s “full readiness to implement the Board of Peace’s roadmap” but made no mention of any disarmament plans.
Israel has said it will not allow reconstruction until Hamas disarms.
Last year, Hamas agreed to a plan that includes disarmament but has since traded accusations with Israel of ceasefire violations and has accused Israel of violating the agreement by continuing to occupy much of Gaza.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed attacks on a “sensitive target” in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and on Aramco oil company facilities in the Saudi port city of Yanbu, but did not provide evidence of those claims.
Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a statement that cruise and ballistic missiles and drones were used, but did not specify when. It was the second claim of an attack against the Saudi capital in days.
The rebels also said they fired dozens of missiles and drones on the southwestern Saudi province of Jazan. Saree said that they were in response to the “unjust siege and the launching of aggressive airstrikes” from Saudi territory.
The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the claims.
The Saudi government and Aramco did not immediately respond to requests for comments. A Saudi military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, had said earlier that six ballistic missiles targeting Saudi Arabia ’s Red Sea port of Yanbu and southwestern city of Taif had been intercepted.
At the U.N., Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said he wasn’t worried about a Houthi takeover of parts of Yemen, and that the government is “very capable of defending the territory it controls.”
The U.N. pleaded for the fast delivery of humanitarian aid in Yemen as fighting between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed government forces intensifies an already dire humanitarian situation.
U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said people fleeing violence need access to food, shelter and healthcare. Ground fighting, artillery and aerial strikes have killed and wounded at least 125 civilians since the beginning of August. Türk also called for the release of 73 U.N. staffers detained by the Houthis in the past few years.
UN agency for Palestinian refugees raises tens of millions of dollars including from France, Germany, Spain and Belgium
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said over 50 countries attended a closed ministerial meeting on the agency, known as UNRWA, on the sidelines of the U.N.’s annual gathering of world leaders on Thursday which he welcomed.
“We continue to emphasize that UNRWA is indispensable, irreplaceable against the horrific humanitarian reality that continues to exist in Gaza,” he told a press conference afterward.
Israel has banned UNRWA from operating in its territory and the United States has cut all funding.
UNRWA’s acting commissioner-general Christian Saunders said the agency received about 30 million euros Thursday, according to an unconfirmed tally, bringing its deficit down to near $60 million.
This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
Demonstrators gather to protest ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Madison Swart)
Chairs for Palestinian delegates are unoccupied as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A photo of the late Qasem Soleimani is displayed as chairs for delegates from Iran are unoccupied while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa) ADDS ID
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Palestinians walk amid war-damaged buildings in Gaza City, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Likud party New Year event in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
