Lionel Scaloni has won everything there is to win as coach in international football, and his contract runs till the 2026 World Cup. The continuity that Scaloni offers and the wealth of talent rising through the ranks for Argentina hints at the potential for a period of dominance.
The 44-year-old head coach has already shown that he trusts youth. The trio of Enzo Fernández, 21, Julián Álvarez, 22, and Alexis Mac Allister, 23, burnished their reputations at the World Cup.
There are many young players waiting for a chance. At centre-back, for example, Nicolás Otamendi, 34, was solid.
But, if he is unavailable, Lisandro Martínez, 24, is ready to step up. There are also the likes of Facundo Medina, 23, and Nehuén Pérez, 22, who were not in the World Cup squad, but are being tracked closely by Scaloni.
However, there are other positions that need an infusion of youth and Scaloni is well aware of this, as evidenced by the number of young players he has monitored in the past 12 months.
With the 2024 Copa America just 18 months away and the World Cup to follow two years later, Scaloni is likely to start integrating them soon.
Here are three players who were not in Qatar, but could play a key role in the future:
Alejandro Garnacho, 18
POSITION LEFT-WINGER
This story is from the January 01, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
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This story is from the January 01, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
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