«No need to wait»: Scaloni denied Paredes injury, confirmed WC place | OneFootball

The Argentina national team wrapped up its preparation for the 2026 World Cup with a 3-0 win over Iceland at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. The goals were scored by Valentín Barco, Lionel Messi, and Thiago Almada. With this result, the team gained confidence and is now focused on its debut next Tuesday against Algeria in Kansas City.

The question over Balerdi’s replacement

At a press conference, Lionel Scaloni addressed Leonardo Balerdi’s absence due to a muscle injury. The Pujato-born coach admitted he will take up to two more days to decide who will take the 26th spot on the official roster. “There are two options and we’re going to wait. The important thing today is that the team showed good signs and we’re more at ease,” the coach explained.

Scaloni reassured over Paredes and Montiel

The head coach firmly denied rumors about a possible injury absence for Leandro Paredes. “Leandro is fine and he’s staying with us; he’ll probably be back training with the group by the weekend,” he said about the Boca midfielder. The coach also praised Gonzalo Montiel’s performance after he got some minutes in the friendly:

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