Texas finale: Scaloni names XI for Honduras, Messi in, 3 doubts

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·6 Juni 2026

Texas finale: Scaloni names XI for Honduras, Messi in, 3 doubts

The Argentina National Team completed its final training session in Texas ahead of this Saturday’s friendly at 9:00 p.m. against Honduras at Kyle Field, a practice that clarified Lionel Messi’s physical condition but left three unanswered questions in the starting lineup.

Messi’s condition and the injury report

The main development in the formal session was the captain’s active participation. Lionel Messi took the field among the first players and completed the drills alongside his teammates, backing up Lionel Scaloni’s earlier remarks: “He’s doing well, he’s no longer fully training separately.”

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On the other hand, the rest of the players dealing with physical issues continued with individualized training. Nicolás Paz (pain in his left knee), Gonzalo Montiel and Nahuel Molina (both with muscle tears) trained apart from the group. Meanwhile, Julián Álvarez (left ankle sprain) and Leandro Paredes (tear in his right hamstring) did not even do exercises on the grass.

For his part, Emiliano Martínez trained again without gloves alongside the rest of the goalkeepers. Although the fracture in the ring finger of his right hand rules him out of these friendlies, his place as the starter in the World Cup debut against Algeria is not in danger.

Scaloni’s three doubts in defining the team

Despite having a settled core, the head coach still has three specific questions ahead of the match, which will be broadcast by TyC Sports:

Goalkeeper: With “Dibu” unavailable, the coach confirmed that Juan Musso will take the spot for Saturday’s match, leaving Gerónimo Rulli waiting for his chance in the next game.
Right back: With Montiel and Molina unavailable due to injury, the battle for the position is between Nicolás Capaldo (currently at Hamburg) and Agustín Giay (Palmeiras). The former Boca player started the week as the main option, but the young product of San Lorenzo has improved his chances in the latest sessions.
Attacking setup (two strikers or wingers?): The coaching staff is considering keeping Giuliano Simeone on the right wing with Thiago Almada supporting Lautaro Martínez, or dropping Almada into midfield to allow José Manuel López to come in under a system with two out-and-out center forwards.

The confirmed core and the likely XI

The defensive structure and central midfield will remain unchanged. Nicolás Otamendi and Lisandro Martínez will form the center-back pairing, while Cristian Romero continues recovering from the ligament injury he suffered at Tottenham. The left flank will belong to Nicolás Tagliafico, while shielding the defense will be the trio of Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, and Alexis Mac Allister.

Thus, the Albiceleste’s likely lineup would be:

Juan Musso; Nicolás Capaldo or Agustín Giay, Nicolás Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Thiago Almada; Lautaro Martínez and Giuliano Simeone or José Manuel López.

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