Scaloni's youth dilemma: why Paz and Barco wait, fans ask | OneFootball

Argentina moved confidently through the 2026 World Cup, although they had to battle to the limit to get past their first two knockout matches. Both Cape Verde, which pushed the decision into extra time, and Egypt, beaten thanks to a late scoring burst in the final thirteen minutes, tested the Albiceleste to the fullest in two 3-2 victories. To unlock these high-pressure scenarios, Lionel Scaloni was forced to turn to his bench in search of answers. However, those changes did not include Nicolás Paz or Valentín Barco, two players who arrived at the World Cup in outstanding form and whose playing time is passionately demanded by fans on social media.

Scaloni’s logic in do-or-die matches

The coach’s decision to rely on established names is not especially mysterious. In stages where even the slightest mistake can send the team crashing out, the coaching staff prioritizes the experience and tactical understanding of the usual members of the rotation. That explains the substitutions against Cape Verde, when Nicolás González, Julián Álvarez, Leandro Paredes, Nicolás Tagliafico, and Gonzalo Montiel came on; a pattern that was repeated against Egypt with the introductions of González, Lautaro Martínez, Montiel, Nicolás Otamendi, and Facundo Medina. From midfield forward, the backup structure remains unchanged.

The only room for widespread rotation came in the third group-stage match against Jordan. With a place in the round of 32 and top spot in the group already secured, Scaloni fielded an entirely alternate starting eleven to give minutes to the less-used players, fully aware that opportunities would be scarce in the later rounds. That was when Paz started, while “Colo” Barco and even José López — the third center forward in the squad — came off the bench.

A picture of limited minutes and the shadow of Qatar 2022

Unless Argentina manage to build a comfortable lead in the remainder of their World Cup run, it is highly likely that the younger players will continue to be sidelined. The clearest precedent dates back to the semifinal against Croatia at Qatar 2022, when the comfortable 3-0 scoreline allowed the coach to hand tournament debuts to players who had seen no action, such as Juan Foyth, Paulo Dybala, and Ángel Correa. Otherwise, the trend will remain firmly in place for strictly positional reasons.

On an individual level, Nicolás Paz is seen as Lionel Messi’s direct backup. Since the captain has played every available minute — with the only exceptions being the thrashing of Algeria, when the Como youngster came on after the “No. 10” completed his hat trick, and the aforementioned match against the Asians, when he entered in the second half — Paz’s chances depend on how much Scaloni chooses to manage Messi’s workload.

As for Valentín Barco, the coaching staff views him as an option for midfield, but for now he is behind others in the pecking order. The first replacement in that area is Giovani Lo Celso, who despite not coming on in the last two knockout matches, took an active part in the warmups and was the standout player against Jordan. In fact, even behind the Betis midfielder, Exequiel Palacios is also ahead of the former Boca player.

Scaloni has his roadmap for attacking substitutions fully mapped out: the first line of options belongs to Nico González — with an assist in every match except against Jordan — and whichever striker is waiting his turn between Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez. Thiago Almada also fits into that group, having lost his starting spot in his most recent appearance. Outside this established circuit, the emergence of a surprise seems unlikely, even cooling expectations of a bigger role for Giuliano Simeone in second halves. The picture is clear, and the Scaloneta is not planning any major changes to its formula.

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