Lionel Scaloni, how will you answer these questions?

Lionel Scaloni could not hold back his tears during the post-match press conference. The Argentina coach also hinted that he will take time to consider whether he should continue in charge after his contract expires this December. But beyond the emotion, the World Cup final has left him facing a series of uncomfortable questions.

After the way Argentina performed against Spain in yesterday''s final, scrutiny of Scaloni is inevitable. Throughout the tournament, Argentina could hardly be described as an entertaining side.

Still, they had repeatedly shown an ability to recover from adversity and find a way to win when it mattered most. Against Spain, however, there was little sign of that resilience. Scaloni may argue that the task became far more difficult after his team was reduced to 10 men.

But if Argentina could finally mount some pressure after conceding, despite being a man down, why was there no such urgency earlier? Argentina also became the first team in World Cup final history to fail to register a single shot in the opposition half during the 90 minutes. How does Scaloni explain such a performance?

Questions have also been raised over his starting lineup. Why were Leandro Paredes and Giuliano Simeone dropped from the previous match in favor of Nico Gonzalez and Rodrigo De Paul?

Scaloni corrected one of those decisions by substituting Gonzalez at halftime. But it was difficult to understand what exactly he hoped to achieve by starting him in the first place. De Paul, one of Argentina''s key figures during the previous World Cup triumph, looked a shadow of his former self throughout this tournament and was withdrawn after 70 minutes in the final.

Then there is Lautaro Martínez. Why was the striker, who had scored in both the quarterfinal and semifinal, not brought on at all? In those matches, Lautaro had demonstrated both his aerial ability and his effectiveness in pressing from the front. Why did Scaloni make no attempt to exploit those qualities?

The questions do not end there. Several members of Argentina''s World Cup squad arrived in outstanding form.

Nico Paz, for example, had enjoyed a dream Serie A season, playing a pivotal role in helping Como qualify for the Champions League. He was named Serie A Player of the Season after scoring 12 goals and providing six assists.

Yet Paz played only 72 minutes throughout the World Cup—61 of them in the meaningless group-stage match against Jordan.

Valentin Barco, who had impressed in Ligue 1 and is capable of playing in multiple positions, also received very little opportunity. Will Scaloni accept responsibility for failing to make better use of these young talents?

It is not as though Scaloni is afraid of taking risks. After Argentina''s shock defeat to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he overhauled his team and placed his faith in then-youngsters Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez.

Four years later, however, he remained loyal to much the same core. Meanwhile, in-form players such as Aston Villa's Europa League-winning Emiliano Buendia were not even included in the squad.

With Argentina's midfield struggling throughout the tournament, even an experienced player like Giovani Lo Celso might have offered a solution. Yet Scaloni never seemed willing to move away from his trusted formula. Why did he never seriously consider reshaping a midfield that underperformed in almost every knockout match?

Argentina's tactical approach throughout the tournament will also come under the spotlight. If a team cannot dominate possession, it must compensate with quick transitions and effective counterattacking football. Argentina managed neither. They neither controlled the ball nor transitioned with pace.

The entire team recorded just 37 touches in Spain's half. Even Paraguay, whose physical approach against France was widely criticised, managed more touches in the opposition half than Argentina did.

One could argue that Argentina reached the final largely through experience and flashes of Lionel Messi's brilliance after falling behind in previous matches. But there was not even a glimpse of the dazzling first-half football they produced against France in the 2022 World Cup final.
Surely the absence of Angel Di María alone cannot explain such a dramatic decline.

These are just some of the questions Lionel Scaloni may now have to answer.