Scaloni Says ‘Ritual’ Is More Important Than Practice
Argentina will face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday night. Ahead of the match, the Argentine squad once again gathered for their cherished traditional banquet. This special feast has been a cornerstone of team-building since the current coaching staff took charge, and has since become a firmly established tradition — one that their coach values even more highly than training on the pitch.
“We will never tire of saying that these are undoubtedly the best moments. It is like the celebrations after the victory against Egypt. These are unique moments that will never come again in life,” Lionel Scaloni explained at his pre-match press conference ahead of the quarter-final against Switzerland.
The moments the coach was referring to have nothing to do with on-field performance or results. Rather, they speak to something deeper — a culture and tradition that is quintessentially Argentine. The single greatest force in uniting the players of this squad has been the weekly asado — a traditional Argentine barbecue.
This tradition has been a permanent fixture throughout Scaloni’s entire tenure as head coach of the Albiceleste, and has never once been skipped, even during major tournaments such as the World Cup.
During this World Cup, the squad’s players, coaching staff, and Argentine Football Association (AFA) President Claudio Tapia have shared the joy of the asado together on several occasions. Tapia regularly shares candid moments from these gatherings on his social media accounts. Last Friday night was no exception — though this particular asado carried extra significance, as it was the squad’s final feast before taking on Spain in the final at MetLife Stadium.
The AFA president shared a video on his Instagram account with the caption: “Argentine to the core. Yes, it was asado with the whole team.” The video captures the warm and joyful atmosphere of that special evening.
Coach Scaloni has said that this kind of team culture is precisely why he remained involved in football after his playing days ended. “I said at the press conference that day that I am a coach today because of this team atmosphere — not because I love the 4-3-3 formation. I enjoy being part of a team, being close to my teammates, eating asado, and playing truco,” he said, referring to the traditional Argentine card game. “That is what we have done all our lives.”
The asado is far more than a simple meal. It has become the most eagerly anticipated moment of the week for everyone connected with the squad. Scaloni goes so far as to place it above training in terms of its importance to the team, believing it brings the group together in a way that strengthens bonds and builds genuine unity.
“We even cut short some training sessions to eat asado,” the coach from Santa Fe explained. “We place enormous value on these things. Perhaps it does not matter to other people, or they think that what happens on the pitch is all that counts. But these are the days they will look back on and remember.”
“The memories of Malaysia — the 1997 Under-20 World Cup — still stand out vividly in my mind. Pablo Aimer and Walter Samuel were there with me. Because we shared some truly extraordinary moments together. Above any result, these are the things that stay with you. They are unforgettable, and we place great emphasis on them because they build the team — and when we are united as a team, we are stronger.”
The 48-year-old coach drew a parallel between his current experience and his own playing career, saying, “I was always the one who kept everyone together in the team. I was never a particularly gifted player, and that is probably why I was taken to the World Cup. I played at clubs that valued me because I was a good person, not because I played exceptionally well.”
In an Argentine team that has made unity the very foundation of its strength, the asado has grown into something far greater than a shared meal — it is a central pillar of Scaloni’s entire project and philosophy.
As Argentina prepares to face Spain in pursuit of yet another moment of history at the World Cup, Scaloni has made one thing abundantly clear: alongside tactics and strategy, the value of those conversations, stories, and laughter shared around the grill will endure far longer in the memory than the result of any football match.
