According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, tensions within the Argentine federation could lead Lionel Scaloni to leave several of the Seleccion’s biggest stars, including Lautaro Martinez, out of the squad, allowing the Inter captain to remain with the Nerazzurri during the international break.
Argentina might rest their stars during the upcoming two-week international break.
Why Lautaro Martinez might not be included in Argentina squad
As Gazzetta explains, Argentina are going through a transition period on and off the pitch.
The federation did not announce their upcoming opponents until yesterday, when they confirmed friendlies against Burkina Faso, Bolivia and Benin.
The federation is working to give Lionel Messi a proper farewell, but the ex-Barcelona star does not seem convinced, according to Gazzetta, while coach Scaloni feels his time with the national team is over and doesn’t want to extend his contract beyond December 2026.
Most of his staff, including ex-Inter and Roma centre-back Walter Samuel, feel the same.
There’s also discussion around the World Cup bonuses, which, according to sources in Argentina, have not yet been paid to the players, contributing to a strained relationship between them and the federation.
Last but not least, Argentine FA President Claudio Tapia has been involved in a legal battle to defend himself against allegations of money laundering and in this context, it’s easy to understand why the big names in the national team are not quite happy to travel to South America for friendlies against lesser teams.
According to Gazzetta, Lautaro and Inter have received a pre-call-up notice, but the chaos in recent days might convince the Argentine Federation to leave many of its big players at home, including Lautaro, and get better organisation for the last international break of the year in November.
Next Monday, Argentina will announce their squad for the upcoming matches, and according to Gazzetta, it would be surprising to see Lautaro involved: a scenario that would surely not upset Inter.
