Overview
- Lionel Scaloni confirmed a face-to-face with Lionel Messi in Funes as part of routine talks with team leaders and said they did not discuss the World Cup to let the captain decide in his own time.
- The staff is operating with a preliminary pool of about 50 players to track form and fitness before finalizing the World Cup list, with no places guaranteed.
- Thiago Almada’s limited minutes at Atlético Madrid and media reports labeling him transferable, with Palmeiras cited as a suitor, are being evaluated strictly on sporting performance.
- Julián Álvarez is on a prolonged scoring drought in Spain, while Franco Mastantuono has seen very few minutes since arriving in Europe and has been dealing with pubalgia.
- Scaloni framed the March 27 Finalissima against Spain as a hard-fought test and noted Argentina is weighing a World Cup base in Kansas or Dallas to minimize travel.