BREAKING: Argentina Boss Scaloni Complains To FIFA And Claims Spain Have Unfair World Cup Final Advantage

According to a report by Metro on Saturday July 18, 2026, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has expressed his frustration with FIFA ahead of Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain, claiming his side have been placed at an unfair disadvantage because of the tournament schedule.

The defending champions secured their place in the final with a dramatic comeback victory over England in the semi-finals on Wednesday. Spain, meanwhile, booked their place in the showpiece 24 hours earlier after defeating France 2-0, giving Luis de la Fuente’s side an extra day to recover before the final.

Scaloni believes that additional recovery time could prove significant ahead of one of the biggest matches in world football.

The Argentina manager also criticised FIFA over his team’s preparations after arriving in New York late on Thursday night. According to Scaloni, his players were required to train on Friday afternoon despite their late arrival and official media commitments.

Speaking to reporters, Scaloni said: “We’re just now resting because we arrived last night around 11.00. Today they forced us to train at a time we didn’t want.”

He added that the team’s preparations had been disrupted. “But with the press conference and everything, we had to do a strange, quick training session, and we hardly got to try anything out.”

Scaloni also admitted that not every member of his squad is fully fit after a demanding knockout stage and said the coaching staff will continue assessing the players before making final decisions on the starting lineup. “We are focused on rest and based on that we will see how they arrive, because there are players who are not at 100%,” he added.

Argentina will now attempt to defend their World Cup title against Spain, with Scaloni hoping his side can overcome what he believes has been an uneven preparation schedule and finish the tournament by lifting football’s biggest prize once again.