The certainties Lionel Scaloni has for the upcoming FIFA break | OneFootball

After the South American Qualifiers concluded, which Argentina dominated from start to finish and ended in first place with a nine-point lead over the second, the world champions will return to the field during their tour in the United States for the upcoming FIFA double date in October.

First, the Albiceleste will face Venezuela on Friday, October 10 at 21:00. It's worth remembering that on September 4, the National Team defeated the Vinotinto 3-0 at the Monumental, a match that marked Lionel Messi's farewell on Argentine soil with the sky blue and white in official matches. The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami will be the venue for the match against the former team of Fernando Batista, who was dismissed after failing to qualify for the next World Cup.

After the first match in the heat of Miami, the National Team will fly more than 2,000 kilometers to Chicago, where they will face Puerto Rico on Monday the 13th at 20:00, in the second friendly of the tour. The Central Americans are ranked 157th in the FIFA ranking and will also not be present at the next World Cup. The match will take place at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, which has a capacity for 62,000 spectators.

Although the list of players called up for the U.S. tour has not been announced yet, Lionel Scaloni already has several certainties. The most important is that Lionel Messi is in optimal physical condition and is expected to play both matches. After not being present in the loss in Guayaquil against Ecuador, the Rosario star played 90 minutes in his last matches with Inter Miami, where he showcased his full hierarchy and added five goals and three assists.

Even though these are two friendly matches against lesser opponents with nothing at stake, except for a surprise, no new names are expected to appear, and the list will be very similar to the last call-up. However, this does not mean that the coach will not take advantage of these matches to test alternatives in terms of tactical systems and give playing time to several players who could not accumulate many minutes in the last FIFA double date.

"We were eager to see other guys, but now we have other matches ahead," said the native of Pujato, after the National Team's defeat in Guayaquil. Indeed, the friendlies in October and November will be the last testing ground before the Finalissima with Spain, which will be played in March next year.

Thus, the possibility that some players might have their absolute debut with the sky blue and white should not be ruled out. These are the cases of Julio Soler, left-back of Bournemouth, Alan Varela, central midfielder of Porto, Claudio Echeverri, the new addition to Bayer Leverkusen, and José López, top scorer of Palmeiras who recently scored a double against River. None of the four saw action, neither against Venezuela nor against Ecuador, and this time they might have their opportunity.

The 20-year-old defender, who began his football career at Lanús, has not yet managed to establish himself as a starter in the English team and has only played seven matches since his arrival in January. However, he is currently one of the young players with the most potential, as demonstrated in the youth teams and the Olympic Games, under the technical direction of Javier Mascherano.

A similar situation occurs with Echeverri, who joined the German team on loan just over a month ago, coming from Manchester City and has not yet secured a spot in the Danish Kasper Hjulmand's starting eleven. He has played in four matches and has not scored goals. However, his million-euro sale to the City Group at the beginning of 2024 (they paid River more than 18 million euros for his transfer), when he was only 17 years old, also marks him as another of the great Albiceleste promises.

The situations of Varela and López are different. Although they are still young (24 years old), both are key pieces in their teams. The former Boca player is two matches away from reaching 100 with Porto's jersey and has even been the captain of the Dragons. Meanwhile, the center forward has accumulated 163 appearances and 51 goals scored with Palmeiras. In fact, he left a message for Scaloni after being the main protagonist of Verdao's victory against River in the Libertadores: “I hope to continue having more call-ups, it's a dream for me. The first one was spectacular and I enjoyed every moment as I always dreamed. It's a pride to represent my country.”

But in addition to the possible debutants, there are several players who have often been called up in the latest convocations but have not accumulated many minutes, and this tour would be their great chance to do so and secure a place among those who will represent the country in the next World Cup in 2026.

Among them are some young players like Genoa's winger Valentín Carboni or Como's attacking midfielder Nicolás Paz. Both the 20-year-old from Buenos Aires and the 21-year-old Spanish-Argentine have played only three and four matches respectively in the national team. Therefore, they must make the most of every opportunity they have to take the field.

In the backline, Leonardo Balerdi, a defender from Olympique de Marseille with a past at Xeneize, could also have a new opportunity. He was a starter in the last match in Guayaquil and, despite the defeat, showed a good level. Another who could get minutes is world champion Juan Foyth. The Villarreal defender will try to convince the coach to count on him again for the 2026 World Cup.

Finally, there are Exequiel Palacios and Giovanni Lo Celso. Scaloni has a soft spot for them, and barring any issues, both would have their place secured in the World Cup. It is expected that the coach will send them onto the field and that the midfielders from Betis and Bayer Leverkusen respectively, will have the opportunity to shine and demonstrate that they can be potential alternatives in the team's midfield.

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