Published on 6/14/2026
The Argentine national team has entered the final stage of its preparations for the 2026 World Cup amid major challenges imposed by injuries and physical problems affecting a number of its key players, which prompted technical director Lionel Scaloni to rearrange his cards and make extensive adjustments to his technical plans before the expected opening match against the Algerian national team next Wednesday.
Although the Argentine national team has retained its well-known personality and competitive spirit that has led it to success in recent years, the current reality has forced the technical staff to deal with a different version of the team, after injuries affected the final roster, the preparatory camp, and the starting lineup expected at kickoff.
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The technical staff received worrying signs since the beginning of the camp after captain Lionel Messi joined while suffering from physical pain that prevented him from participating in the first friendly match against Honduras. Despite this, the national team captain continues his preparatory program relatively normally, amid optimism that he can lead the team in the upcoming match against Algeria.
Scaloni relies heavily on Messi’s experience and his ability to lead the group in light of the difficult circumstances the team is going through before the start of the tournament.
Crisis in the left front
Marcos Acuña was the first victim of these circumstances after he was excluded from the final list for the tournament, a decision that resulted in a number of other adjustments within the team’s ranks.
Scaloni decided to use defender Facundo Medina to enhance the defensive options, taking advantage of his ability to play in more than one position, especially on the left front, which became a source of great concern after the injury suffered by Nicholas Tagliafico during the last friendly match against Iceland.
Expectations indicate that Medina may get the opportunity to appear as a starter against Algeria, while Lisandro Martinez remains one of the available alternatives to compensate for any deficiency in this position.
The technical staff is also studying the possibility of bringing in young Valentin Barco, one of the new faces in the national team, after he demonstrated the ability to fill several roles on the field, which gave him an advantage in light of the current circumstances.
Successive injuries confuse the defense
The team’s suffering did not stop there, as defender Christian Romero arrived at the camp after an absence of nearly a month and a half due to injury, which raised questions about his full readiness for the competitions.
Defender Leonardo Balerdi also suffered a calf injury during the camp, ensuring his departure from the list, which prompted Scaloni to search for a suitable replacement before finally settling on calling up Marcos Senesi to reinforce the back line.
These developments confirm the extent of the crisis facing the technical staff in building a stable defense line before the first match in the tournament.
Goalkeeping under supervision
In the goalkeeping position, the technical staff waited until the last days to check on the readiness of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who played in the European League final despite suffering from a fracture in the finger of his right hand.
Although the goalkeeper has not yet reached full recovery, the indicators coming from the camp confirm that his condition has improved significantly, making him the closest to keeping the national team’s goal against Algeria.
Scaloni also faces an additional challenge at right-back, after both Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel underwent special rehabilitation programs throughout the camp due to various physical problems.
The technical staff hopes to restore one of the players to full readiness before the kick-off, to avoid making further forced adjustments in the back line.
The midfield loses one of its most prominent elements
In midfield, Leandro Paredes was confirmed absent from the opening match after he failed to fully recover from the injury he recently suffered.
It is expected that Thiago Almada will get the opportunity to participate from the beginning to compensate for this absence, with the possibility of changing his tactical roles according to the team’s needs during the match.
Nico Gonzalez’s readiness was also affected by physical problems that limited his chances of participating, while Nico Paz arrived at the camp suffering from physical problems that affected his preparations for the tournament.
The Argentine national team suffered another strong blow with the absence of striker Julian Alvarez from the first match against Algeria, after he suffered an ankle injury during his team’s match against Arsenal in the semi-finals of the Champions League in early May.
Since that injury, Alvarez has been unable to return to the field, which deprived Scaloni of one of his most important offensive weapons at the beginning of his World Cup campaign.
As the date of the anticipated confrontation against Algeria approaches, Scaloni finds himself facing a difficult test that requires finding the appropriate combination to compensate for the many absences, while at the same time preserving the ambitions of the Argentine national team to achieve a strong start in its quest to compete for the world title.
