Lionel Scaloni calls up several Benfica players to the Argentina squad | OneFootball

Nicolás Otamendi and Gianluca Prestianni have been called up by Argentina's coach, Lionel Scaloni, for the preparation match against Guatemala. The world champion's squad was announced by the Argentine Football Association (AFA), including both players in the list of 28 athletes for the match scheduled for March 31.

The match comes after the cancellation of the Finalissima against European champion Spain, which was planned for March 27 in Doha, Qatar. The encounter will serve as the final test for the 'albiceleste' before the announcement of the squad for the 2026 World Cup, which takes place from June 11 to July 19.

Nicolás Otamendi - who is of interest to River Plate - is one of the key figures of the team, being the fifth player with the most international caps ever, with 129 games and seven goals scored. Meanwhile, Prestianni made his debut for the senior team in November 2025, in a friendly against Angola (2-0).

The match against Guatemala will be played at La Bombonera Stadium in Buenos Aires, and will serve as preparation for the World Cup group stage, where Argentina is in Group J with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan, a newcomer to the competition.

Argentina enters the 2026 World Cup as the reigning champion, after defeating France in the 2022 final in Qatar, and will aim to add a fourth trophy to its history, repeating the successes of 1978 and 1986. Nicolás Otamendi's presence in the competition is almost a certainty.

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