Lionel Scaloni has already cemented his place among the greatest managers in Argentina’s football history. Under his guidance, the national team has captured one World Cup, two Copa América titles and a Finalissima crown—an extraordinary chapter in modern football. Yet his most lasting legacy may well be the remarkable number of players he has introduced to the senior national team.
In just seven years as head coach, Scaloni has handed international debuts to 59 footballers, allowing a new generation of Argentine talent to flourish. For many players, wearing the national colours is the ultimate dream, and Scaloni has made that dream a reality more frequently than any Argentine coach in recent decades.
Scaloni has consistently used friendly fixtures and low-pressure matches to experiment and introduce fresh faces. This strategy has ensured that Argentina always maintains squad depth and readiness, even when senior players are unavailable.
In Argentina’s most recent match against Angola, Kevin Mac-Allister, Gianluca Prestiani, Joaquín Panichelli and Máximo Perrone earned their first caps. Earlier, in a 6–0 win against Puerto Rico, Facundo Cambeses also made his debut.
Scaloni’s coaching journey began in 2018 against Guatemala, where over ten players earned their first international appearances. Since then, almost every year has seen a new wave of talent break into the national team—especially in the build-up to major tournaments such as the World Cup and Copa América.
Of the 26 players in the squad that won the 2022 Qatar World Cup, 13 had made their international debut under Scaloni. Many of them—such as Rodrigo De Paul, Cristian Romero, Enzo Fernández and Lisandro Martínez—have become essential members of the team.
List of the 59 Players Who Debuted Under Scaloni
| No. | Player Names |
|---|---|
| 1–10 | Gerónimo Rulli, Renzo Saravia, Exequiel Palacios, Gonzalo Martínez, Giovanni Simeone, Walter Kannemann, Alan Franco, Matías Vargas, Franco Cervi, Franco Vázquez |
| 11–20 | Santiago Ascacíbar, Rodrigo Battaglia, Rodrigo De Paul, Juan Foyth, Gastón Giménez, Paulo Gazzaniga, Lisandro Martínez, Gonzalo Montiel, White Sunday, Matías Suárez |
| 21–30 | Esteban Andrada, Iván Marcone, Matías Zaracho, Juan Musso, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Nicolás Domínguez, Alexis Mac-Allister, Leonardo Balerdi, Adolfo Gaich, Lucas Ocampos |
| 31–40 | Nicolás González, Facundo Medina, Emiliano Martínez, Cristian Romero, Julián Álvarez, Nahuel Molina, Emiliano Buendía, Lucas Boyé, Marcos Senesi, Thiago Almada |
| 41–50 | Nehuén Pérez, Enzo Fernández, Alejandro Garnacho, Facundo Buonanotte, Valentín Barco, Walter Benítez, Valentín Carboni, Valentín Castellanos, Nicolás Paz, Giuliano Simeone |
| 51–59 | Franco Mastantuono, José Manuel López, Lautaro Rivero, Hannibal Moreno, Facundo Cambeses, Kevin Mac-Allister, Gianluca Prestiani, Joaquín Panichelli, Máximo Perrone |