Lionel Scaloni has made three changes to Argentina's starting lineup for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain — and with kick-off approaching, every decision is under the microscope. Rodrigo De Paul, Nico González, and Gonzalo Montiel are all in from the start, according to ESPN FC, as the defending champions prepare to face a Spain side that has looked imperious throughout this tournament.
Rodrigo De Paul, Nico González, and Gonzalo Montiel are the three players stepping into Argentina's starting eleven for the biggest match in football, according to ESPN FC. De Paul's inclusion is the one that shapes the midfield picture most clearly — when he's on it, Argentina have a press-carrier and a tempo-setter in one. González adds an attacking dimension, and Montiel's presence at right back brings a player who knows exactly what a World Cup final feels like.
Montiel converted the decisive penalty in the shootout against France in Qatar 2022 — the kick that made Argentina world champions. He arrives here with that weight already carried.
Three changes ahead of a World Cup final — not a group stage dead rubber, not a round of sixteen — tells you Scaloni has a very specific plan. De Paul is central to it: he presses, he links play, he covers ground, and he gives the players around him licence to go. Bringing him into midfield against Spain — a side that will dominate possession, press high, and suffocate teams who let them — reads as a direct counter-measure. Argentina intend to make this a contest of transitions, not a patient passing exercise on Spain's terms.
Spain under Luis Enrique have been relentless in this tournament. Argentina, the defending champions, have beaten teams like that before — in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, four years ago in Qatar.
Scaloni has made his call. Kick-off will do the rest.
Lionel Scaloni has made three changes to Argentina's starting lineup for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Spain — and with kick-off approaching, every decision is under the microscope.
Sources
ESPN FC
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