Argentina have secured a flawless group‑stage record and now travel to face Cape Verde in the Round of 32, with Lionel Messi expected to return to the starting eleven and coach Lionel Scaloni weighing three crucial lineup decisions.
In the 3‑1 victory over Jordan — already assured of qualification — Scaloni rested Messi on the bench, bringing him on after the break, when he scored the decisive goal.
With the knockout round underway, Messi is almost certain to start, joining Rodrigo DePaul, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister, all of whom are expected to retain their places.
Nevertheless, Argentine insider Gaston Edul of TyC Sports reports that Scaloni remains undecided on three key battles: Nicolas Otamendi versus Christian Romero for centre‑back, Nicolas Tagliafico versus Facundo Medina for left‑back, and Julian Alvarez versus Lautaro Martínez up front.
Breaking down Scaloni’s doubts
The centre‑back dilemma originates from Romero’s knee problem suffered in the Austria game, prompting Scaloni to replace him with Otamendi at halftime as a precaution.
Reports indicate that Romero has fully trained with his teammates and is available for selection, allowing Scaloni to consider starting him if he wishes.
Edul reports that Tagliafico is strongly likely to retain his left‑back spot after completing the full 90 minutes against Jordan, having missed the opening two matches against Algeria and Austria due to a muscle strain.
The final decision appears to favor Lautaro Martínez up front, with the Inter Milan forward reported to be in superior physical condition compared to Julian Álvarez, who arrived at the tournament nursing a left ankle issue.
Álvarez played limited minutes in the first two matches and started against Jordan, where his impact was minimal, opening the way for Martínez to begin the game.