Lionel Scaloni reportedly set to make changes to Lionel Messi’s Argentina XI with two key doubts for England clash
Argentina are through to the 2026 World Cup semifinals after another unconvincing performance, this time against Switzerland, with Lionel Messi once again carrying the load. With England up next and a place in the final on the line, head coach Lionel Scaloni is reportedly planning changes to his starting lineup, with two positions in particular still up in the air.
The 3-1 scoreline at Arrowhead Stadium was flattering. Argentina struggled for long stretches playing eleven against eleven, and it took Breel Embolo’s red card and an extra-time comeback to seal the result. England, ranked fourth in the FIFA Rankings, represent the toughest opponent Argentina have faced in the entire 2026 World Cup, and Scaloni appears to recognize that adjustments are necessary.
On Monday, Argentina held their final training session in Kansas City at the Compass Mineral Center before departing for Atlanta. The AFA’s official report noted that the squad “focused on possession drills, recovery after turnovers, and attacking progression,” closing the session with small-sided games.
Argentina to hold the system
According to Diario Ole‘s Hernan Claus, an insider close to the Argentina national team, Scaloni has been working between a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2, consistent with the formations used throughout the tournament. However, with the current group of starters struggling to find the right balance, the coach experimented with several personnel changes in key positions during Monday’s session.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Exequiel Palacios featured in the starting lineup for part of the training session, offering a ball-retention profile in midfield that Argentina lacked against Switzerland. Giuliano Simeone also got some minutes, providing a wider, more direct option down the flank as an alternative to the more technical Mac Allister-Fernandez-Paredes-De Paul setup Scaloni has favored.
see also
Messi, Mbappe and the stars leading the 2026 World Cup semifinalists: Who dominates each team?
The right back position also saw rotation, with both Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel cycling through the role as they have done throughout the tournament, with neither player having done enough to make the spot their own.
According to the Argentine outlet, nine players appear close to certain starters against England: Emiliano Martinez, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Alexis Mac Allister, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Lionel Messi, and Julian Alvarez. Of those who started against Switzerland, Rodrigo De Paul and Nahuel Molina appear most at risk of losing their places.
Scaloni considering a 5-3-2 system?
One of the more significant possibilities reported by Diario Ole is a switch to a 5-3-2 for the England semifinal. In Monday’s session, Scaloni trialed a back three of Nicolas Otamendi, Cristián Romero, and Lisandro Martinez, with Molina and Simeone as right wing backs, Tagliafico and Nicolas Gonzalez on the left, a midfield three of De Paul, Fernandez, and Mac Allister, and Messi and Alvarez as the two forwards.
It would not be the first time Scaloni has made such a tactical shift under pressure, having deployed a similar approach in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal against the Netherlands, a match Argentina controlled for long stretches despite finishing 2-2. The final decision is expected to come after Tuesday’s training session in Atlanta, but one thing already appears clear: Scaloni will not be sending out the same lineup that started against Egypt or Switzerland.
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