Scaloni sings Argentine anthem before World Cup final against Spain

Lionel Scaloni, the Pujato-born coach who guided Argentina to the 2022 crown, sang the Argentine anthem with visible emotion before the World Cup final against Spain at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The scene came as Argentina tried to defend its title in the first 48-team World Cup final, with the national anthem taking on added weight in the moments before kickoff.

The pregame moment carried more than ceremony. Scaloni had already framed the final as personal as well as professional because of his friendship with Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and his family roots in Spain, giving the matchup an edge that went beyond the trophy itself. The Argentine anthem was also presented in a special version before the match, reinforcing the sense that the day had been built around symbolism as much as competition.

Argentina entered the final as the reigning champion from Qatar 2022, while Spain arrived as Europe’s champion. The game itself turned into a brutal test of control and discipline. Enzo Fernández was sent off at the end of regulation, leaving Argentina short-handed for the closing stretch, and Spain finally broke through in extra time when Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the night.

The result left Argentina 1-0 losers in East Rutherford and denied Scaloni a second straight world title. It also sharpened the meaning of the anthem image that opened the evening: a coach from Pujato, singing with visible emotion as he stood at the center of a team carrying a nation’s expectations on the sport’s biggest stage. For Scaloni, the final was never just another match; it was a chance to defend a championship, confront a friend across the technical area, and extend a title run that had already defined an era in Argentine football.