Argentina players heading to the World Cup with most and fewest minutes | OneFootball

There are 11 days left until the Argentina National Team makes its debut at the 2026 World Cup, where it will get underway against Algeria, and during this stretch coach Lionel Scaloni will finish determining the players’ condition, who the starters will be, and whether he needs to make a change to the squad list due to injury. In this regard, it is worth keeping in mind who arrives with the most playing time and who has had little action for different reasons.

The first group, those who have logged the most minutes, is led by Enzo Fernández. The 25-year-old Chelsea midfielder is perhaps the player arriving at the World Cup in the best form among those representing the Albiceleste. With the English side, he was a starter and standout all season, in which he played 54 matches and scored 15 goals across the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup. He has totaled around 4,379 minutes on the pitch and is shaping up to be an untouchable piece for Scaloni.

Enzo Fernández, a starter in Argentina’s first training session. (@Argentina)

At the same time, another one in the ranking is Nicolás Otamendi. The center back, who just signed with River and will join after the World Cup, is still as relevant as ever at 38 years old. In his last season at Benfica, he was captain and a leader at a great level that earned him a place in what would be his final World Cup. He arrives with 4,314 minutes in 49 matches and played in the Champions League with the Portuguese side.

Lastly, one playing in South America must be included: José Manuel López. The Palmeiras forward arrives in unbeatable form as the scorer and star of Verdão, and also as one of those with the most action over the last year because Brazilian football is among the most intense and has one of the most packed calendars in the world. In 2026 alone he has played 35 matches, just seven fewer than Lautaro Martínez has totaled since the middle of last year, for example, the Inter striker with whom he will compete for a spot.

On the other hand, there are also those who have had the least activity. The one who has played the least, leaving aside Juan Musso, who is Atlético Madrid’s backup goalkeeper, is Lisandro Martínez. The Manchester United center back is an important piece for Scaloni and will probably get minutes at the World Cup, but in his last season he played only 19 matches (1,310 minutes) because of the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that he suffered last year and that prevented him from being available at the start of the season.

Giovani Lo Celso, the 30-year-old midfielder from Spain’s Betis, went through a similar situation, as he was sidelined throughout February and March with a muscle problem. For that reason, the Rosario native arrives at this World Cup with 32 matches under his belt and 1,777 minutes on the pitch. Even so, Scaloni trusts him a lot; he has been part of the entire cycle despite an injury ruling him out of Qatar, and now he will get his revenge.

Lastly, there is the case of Thiago Almada, who, despite some minor injury issues, has had little playing time because Diego Simeone considers him a substitute at Atlético Madrid. The Vélez product has not managed to take off with Atleti or show the good things he has done with the national team. He appeared in 40 matches, but mostly coming off the bench, and has accumulated 1,704 minutes played. However, his level with the Albiceleste has been good, and he will fight to earn a place as a starter at the World Cup.

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