Scaloni stuns all: world champion left out, nobody saw it coming | OneFootball

The final Argentina squad for the 2026 World Cup included several surprises, but the absence that drew the most attention was Marcos Acuña.

The River Plate left back, a world champion in Qatar 2022 and one of Lionel Scaloni’s most trusted players in recent years, is not among the 26 players called up for the World Cup.

The decision caused surprise because of “Huevo”’s current form and also because of his track record with the Albiceleste. Acuña was an important part of the Scaloni era, both in winning the Copa América and at the Qatar World Cup, where he alternated between starts and key minutes off the bench.

In addition, the defender had been playing regularly for River and recently featured in the Torneo Apertura final, in which Marcelo Gallardo’s team lost to Belgrano.

Although the national team has alternatives such as Nicolás Tagliafico, Facundo Medina, and even the possibility of using Valentín Barco on the left side, Acuña’s absence stands out as one of the strongest decisions in the squad selection.

Other major absences

Beyond the Acuña case, the list left other important names out of the World Cup.

One of them is Franco Mastantuono, one of the biggest breakout players in Argentine football in recent times. The young River player seemed to have a chance of making the squad, but was ultimately not included.

Players with European experience and previous appearances for the national team, such as Emiliano Buendía and Marcos Senesi, were also left out.

As often happens with every World Cup squad, Scaloni made bold decisions and left big names out along the way. Now, with the roster confirmed, Argentina will begin the countdown to another defense of its world title.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.