Argentina begins the defense of the world champion title and the first step will be this September 7 ago Ecuador national team in Buenos Aires. technician Lionel Scaloni listed 28 footballerswith notorious losses of names that made up the list of champions, with other absences.

From 26 who lifted the cup in Qatar last November, 22 were on to start the tie. Gerónimo Rulli, Marcos Acuña, Paulo Dybala and Alejandro Gómez were omitted for various reasons.

23 players fuel the Ecuadorian illusion in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Rulli was sidelined with a right shoulder injury which will remove him from the field for at least four months. The Ajax goalkeeper had a transfer to Bayern Munich in advance, but an injury stopped him from joining.

Also due to injury, Acuña was left out. He will be sidelined at Sevilla for a month recovering from a “muscle injury in the biceps femoris of the right leg”, according to the Spanish club.

For caution,” Dybala was out of the question. Roma player represented discomfort in the muscles in the Serie A match and was left out, so after missing the previous friendly matches with Albiceleste, they will be eliminated in this first part as well.

Without a minute in Seville, Gomez left Scaloni’s orbit, that he did not consider him for these first matches with Argentina. The player would ask the Spanish club for his transfer and his future was said to be “unknown”.

Of the players who came into consideration in friendly matches after the world coronation, the absence of Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham, England) drew attention. in Argentina, but his absence is due to an injury sustained in the English League Cup.

Other names that did not appear in the announcement are those of Facundo Medina (Lens, France) and Lucas Ocampos (Seville). The first is the most obvious because since there was no Acuña he would have been a replacement in the defensive block, but Scaloni left him out.

Ocampos was a substitute on Argentina’s list and although he did not go to the World Cup, he was under the coach’s magnifying glass, but the tie did not begin when names such as Nicolás González (Fiorentina) and Alejandro Garnach (Manchester United) ) entered the list, who would have been an alternative to Ángel Di María, the striker of Benfica. (D)