Though his future at his club side Atlético Madrid is uncertain, Thiago Almada has earned the trust of Lionel Scaloni and appears on course to line up alongside Lionel Messi in Argentina's World Cup opener.
Four days before the clash with Algeria, the Albiceleste coach has one eye on the pitch and another on the treatment room.
Scaloni has injury concerns across the squad, from goalkeeper Emiliano 'Dibu; Martínez to striker Julián Álvarez.
Defence remains the biggest worry, with first-choice left-back Nicolás Tagliafico nursing a muscle injury that could even rule him out of the tournament.
In midfield, however, Argentina are fully fit and Scaloni's main task is selecting a replacement for Ángel Di María – the only starter from the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Copa América finals no longer in the squad.
The successor to the now retired 'Fideo' will provide the link between the established midfield trio of Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández and Rodrigo De Paul and an attack led by Messi.
For that role, Scaloni appears to favour Almada, whose talent is unquestioned but who has struggled to establish himself under fellow Argentine Diego Simeone at Atlético Madrid.
"He's an important player for us. Performance will decide things in the end, not the league he plays in or the club he's at," Scaloni said in January amid speculation Almada could leave Madrid after only a short stay in the Spanish capital.
The coach had already praised the attacking midfielder after he scored the winner against Uruguay in a 2025 World Cup qualifier.
"Almada plays the way the team wants to play," Scaloni said.
The 25-year-old was on target again on Tuesday in Argentina's final friendly before the squad settled into its World Cup base in Kansas City, rounding off a 3-0 win over Iceland after being set up by Messi.
Losing prominence
Almada arrived in Madrid at the start of the season after Atléti paid around US$25 million to sign him from Brazilian side Botafogo.
Despite receiving a warm welcome from Simeone, he arrived in Spain facing doubts over his slight frame and lack of physical power, standing at 1.71 metres tall. Yet Simeone had previously built successful teams around players of a similar profile, including Antoine Griezmann.
Even so, Almada failed to fully convince his compatriot and gradually lost prominence, eventually dropping out of the starting line-up in recent months.
He played just 25 minutes across Atlético's Champions League semi-final defeat to Arsenal and finished the league campaign with 27 appearances, 16 starts and three goals.
Another Fuerte Apache wonderkid
Almada could become one of the casualties of another trophyless season at Atlético during the current transfer window.
The next step for the Fuerte Apache academy product – from the same working-class neighbourhood in Buenos Aires Province that produced Carlos Tévez — may be a return to South American football, with River Plate among the clubs credited with interest.
The opportunity he needs to remain in Europe may also emerge during the World Cup in the United States, where he previously impressed during a three-year spell with Atlanta United FC between 2022 and 2024.
A member of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad, albeit in a limited role, Almada remains the only player to have lifted the trophy while representing an MLS club.
Now, that same league could soon welcome Messi and De Paul, the leaders of Inter Miami CF.
by Guillermo Barros, AFP
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