Scaloni reveals ‘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 made several important remarks about the current state of the Argentina national team. The coach said he is closely monitoring Lionel Messi’s physical condition 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 surprise names among the 26 players who will travel to the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

In an interview with DSports, the coach explained that the technical staff will wait “until the very last day” before finalizing the squad for the World Cup. “The idea is not to change anyone on the list, but we’ll stay 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 alarm bells 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 well. The first reports aren’t that bad,” Scaloni explained, although he admitted his concern over 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 recover them and have them arrive in the best possible condition,” 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 left out of the national team’s transition. The coach stressed that the list will feature “a mix of players” capable of giving the team different options and explained that renewal depends not on age but on performance.

“The renewal has to happen only as long as the one already inside isn’t performing. The players who are here today haven’t dropped their level,” he said, in a phrase that helps explain why some footballers were pushed down the pecking order ahead of the World Cup.

At the same time, he also left the door open for possible surprises among those called up. Scaloni confirmed that several young players will travel on the pre-World Cup tour in the United States and specifically mentioned Agustín Giay and Nicolás Capaldo, in addition to other footballers who have been closely monitored by the coaching staff.

“They are kids we think could be on the list of 26. We do everything thinking they can contribute in case something happens after the first list is finalized,” the coach explained, also recalling the last-minute withdrawals 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 had a message for the fans before defending the world title: “These guys have always given their all. We’re going to this World Cup in the same way, giving our lives and respecting our culture and our shirt.”

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