Overview
- Walter Samuel told AFA president Claudio Tapia on Friday that he will not renew his contract and will leave the national team at the end of December to pursue a head-coach job in Europe.
- Argentina has not officially announced any September–October friendlies because the AFA is awaiting FIFA 'A' classification and confederation exemptions needed to schedule matches against agreed-but-unconfirmed opponents such as Burkina Faso and Benin.
- FIFA disciplinary bans from post‑final incidents — including 10 matches for Leandro Paredes and eight for Nahuel Molina — mean the AFA wants 'A' status for upcoming friendlies so those suspensions can be served and games count for ranking points.
- Lionel Scaloni remains under contract through December and has said he will decide about his future after fulfilling that term, with Claudio Tapia continuing discussions but no renewal announced and no final squad list published.
- With Messi retired and clubs only 'reserved' rather than formally notified of call‑ups, the immediate effect is a short-term logjam that forces technical-staff reshaping, limits player availability, and accelerates a generational transition for the team.