Scaloni has ‘one doubt’ in Argentina squad, no Dybala for World Cup | OneFootball

Just days before the final squad list for the 2026 World Cup is submitted, Lionel Scaloni broke his silence and offered several important updates on the current state of the Argentina national team. The coach said he is closely monitoring Lionel Messi’s physical recovery after the muscle issue he suffered at Inter Miami, acknowledged that some players will arrive “not fully recovered,” justified Paulo Dybala’s absence, and left open the possibility of including some surprises among the 26 players who will travel to the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

In an interview with DSports, the manager explained that the coaching staff will wait “until the last day” before finalizing the squad for the World Cup. “The idea is not to change anyone from the list, but we’ll be like this until the very last moment,” he said, making it clear that physical condition will be decisive.

One of the main focuses was Messi, who raised alarms after asking to be substituted in the match between Inter Miami and the Philadelphia Union. “We were watching the match at the training ground. We realized he asked to come off and that he wasn’t feeling right. The first reports aren’t that bad,” Scaloni explained, although he admitted his concern about the number of players arriving with physical issues.

“We would have liked him to arrive without any kind of problems, but that’s not the case with him or with most of the players who have had physical setbacks. The goal is to get them recovered and have them arrive in the best possible shape,” added the World Cup-winning coach.

In addition, the Pujato native made a remark that quickly caused a stir regarding Paulo Dybala, one of the names currently left out of the national team’s renewal process. The coach stressed that the squad will feature “a mix of players” capable of giving the team different options and explained that the transition does not depend on age but on performance.

“The renewal has to happen only as long as the players already in the squad stop performing. The ones who are here today have not dropped their level,” he said, in a statement that helps explain why some footballers have fallen down the pecking order ahead of the World Cup.

At the same time, he also left the door open for possible surprises among the call-ups. Scaloni confirmed that several young players will travel on the pre-tournament tour in the United States and specifically mentioned Agustín Giay and Nicolás Capaldo, along with other footballers who have been closely followed by the coaching staff.

“They are young players we believe could be in the 26-man squad. Everything we do is with the idea that they can contribute in case something happens after the first list is finalized,” the coach explained, also recalling the last-minute absences Argentina suffered before Qatar 2022 with Joaquín Correa and Nicolás González.

On the other hand, Scaloni also spoke about his future after the World Cup and avoided giving specifics. “Right now we have a World Cup, and that is more important than seeing whether a coach stays or not. When the World Cup is over, we’ll talk,” he said about his relationship with Claudio Tapia.

Finally, the coach left a message for the fans ahead of the defense of the world title: “These boys have always given their all. We’re going to go into this World Cup the same way, giving everything and respecting our culture and our shirt.”

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