Argentina’s likely line-up vs Austria and Scaloni’s midfield dilemma | OneFootball

Argentina’s national team will face Austria this Monday in its second Group J match of the 2026 World Cup. After a 3-0 win over Algeria in its opener, head coach Lionel Scaloni has the starting lineup virtually decided, with just one remaining question mark in midfield.

Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez will be in goal, coming off a clean sheet in the opening match. The back line will feature the return of Nahuel Molina, now recovered from injury, alongside Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, and Facundo Medina in defense.

In midfield, the untouchable core will be Rodrigo de Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, and Enzo Fernández. The coach’s only doubt concerns the fourth midfielder: the spot is being contested by Thiago Almada and Nicolás González, who assisted Lionel Messi late in the previous match. Up front, Messi and Lautaro Martínez will once again lead the attack.

This match represents a key opportunity to move closer to qualification for the round of 32. On the opening matchday, La Albiceleste shone thanks to a hat trick from Messi, whose three goals drew him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the top scorer in World Cup history. Austria’s national team also comes in with momentum after a 3-1 win over Jordan, a result that leaves it level at the top of the group with Argentina.

Argentina’s likely lineup against Austria is:

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