Scaloni’s surprising decision, he was vital in the World Cup and now he would bench Messi’s partner in attack

Copa America is 11 days away, and the national teams are finishing up their friendly matches in preparation for the big tournament that will be held in the United States. Argentina is the holder of the Copa America after winning it in 2021, but the squad has slightly changed for the better since then. Argentina went on to win the 2022 World Cup with young players showing their importance to the team. Lionel Messi shined in the Copa America 2021 and in the 2022 World Cup. During the World Cup in Qatar, he managed to have a great partnership with Julian Alvarez in the attack, but for Copa America, it could be different. According to Gaston Edul, Lautaro Martínez is well-positioned to be the starting striker for the Argentina national team in their Copa America debut against Canada. Martinez is not a bad pick for the starting position, but many fans would prefer to see the attacking duo of Messi and Alvarez since they were essential during the World Cup that led to the trophy being lifted.

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While some believe that Alvarez is the right choice, others believe that Martinez as the starting striker makes sense due to his incredible season with Inter Milan. The Argentine striker shined for Internazionale as he played a total of 44 matches across all competitions. Throughout all games this past season, he scored a total of 27 goals and provided seven assists. He won the Serie A title and the Italian Super Cup.

Alvarez played a total of 54 matches for Manchester City across all competitions. The Man City striker scored a total of 19 goals and provided 13 assists across all competitions. He won the Premier League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup this past season. Despite the success, Alvarez wants more playing time, and a move out of the club is possible with clubs like PSG, Atletico Madrid, and Chelsea interested.

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Another reason why Alvarez will not play often in Copa America

Although it looks likely that Lautaro Martinez will be the main striker to partner up with Messi instead of Alvarez due to form, there could be another reason that will be beneficial for the Man City striker. Alvarez has been called up for the Summer Olympics in Paris this summer after the Copa America. Alvarez will be playing a lot of football, and he asked Pep Guardiola to let him go to the Olympics to continue playing.

Along with Alvarez, Nicolas Otamendi will also be playing in the Summer Olympics. Otamendi has also been called up for the Copa America. Argentina will play a friendly match against Ecuador tonight and then will play against Guatemala later this week. The game against Canada will be the opener of Copa America 2024 on June 20th at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The other opponents in Argentina’s group are Chile and Peru in Group A.