Atletico Madrid · Copa del Rey · Goalkeeper · #1 · Argentina · 31 yrs
Arsenal are not backing down in the race to sign Julián Álvarez, amid Barcelona's pursuit of the Argentine forward. Arsenal are refusing to step away from the race for Julián Álvarez, positioning themselves to move quickly if Barcelona’s pursuit of the Argentine forward ultimately falls through. According to reporting from TEAMtalk, the Gunners continue to monitor the situation closely rather than pursuing him outright while Barcelona remain the player’s preferred destination. Much of Arsenal’s positioning comes down to their sporting director, Andrea Berta, a former Atlético Madrid executive who remains in close contact with Atlético CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín. That relationship gives Arsenal a direct line into how the Álvarez situation is developing internally at Atlético, and the club is prepared to step in and meet Atlético’s demands quickly should Barcelona’s efforts stall. Barcelona have already tested the waters with a €100 million offer, which Atlético rejected outright. That rejection came before a meeting between Álvarez and manager Diego Simeone, in which the Argentine reportedly sought his coach’s support in pushing the move through — support Simeone declined to give, stating the decision belongs entirely to the club’s leadership. Marcos Llorente, Álex Baena, Julián Alvarez, and Juan Musso return to training. In the coming days, they will follow a specific work plan before joining the group. pic.twitter.com/7Dcxj5Xoa2— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) August 10, 2026 Despite that resistance, Álvarez has made his intentions clear internally, beginning preseason training on August 10 while continuing to request a transfer. With Atlético standing firm and Barcelona yet to meet their valuation, Arsenal’s patient approach could position them well if the player’s preferred move never materializes. Barcelona’s long pursuit, and how Ferran Torres’ exit could help Barcelona’s interest in Álvarez isn’t new — the club has tracked him for months as a potential heir to Robert Lewandowski up front, with president Joan Laporta long viewed as a driving force behind the pursuit. Atlético, however, have held firm throughout, setting his release clause at €500 million and rejecting Barcelona’s opening offers as nowhere close to what they’d consider. What has shifted recently is Barcelona’s financial picture. With Ferran Torres now closing in on a move to PSG worth €50 million, Barcelona would free up both a squad spot and fresh funds in attack — resources that could be redirected toward improving their offer for Álvarez and finally giving their long-standing pursuit real financial weight behind it.
Despite arriving as top contenders, Argentina were defeated by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. After several hours of silence, Emiliano Martínez decided to say a few words to the fans, casting doubt over his future with La Albiceleste. Throughout the 2026 World Cup, Argentina established as one of the best national teams, due to their attacking brilliance. After coming from behind against England, they entered the final as one of the top contenders, but were defeated by Spain. Following this, several stars have already broken their silence by addressing the fans. Emiliano Martínez has been the latest to do so, casting doubt over his future with the Albiceleste. “I dreamed that we would win it again. I dreamed of bringing it back to Argentina and making history once more. The truth is, the pain is difficult to explain. Now it’s time to reflect on many things and see how to move forward, and whether it’s time to step aside. I’m truly sorry. I really gave everything I had to help my country and my teammates,” Emiliano Martinez said on his Instagram profile. Despite Emiliano Martínez remaining one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he has decided to reflect on his future. Already 33 years old, he would be 37 by the time the 2030 World Cup arrives, possibly no longer at his best. Coming off a heroic performance in the current tournament, his possible retirement from the Albiceleste does not seem to make much sense, as he is still superior to the backup options available. Emiliano Martínez was Argentina’s best player at the 2026 World Cup. In the middle of Spain‘s attacking onslaught, the 33-year-old goalkeeper was the player who touched the ball the most and completed the most passes for his national team. In addition, he kept the team alive for 106 minutes, making numerous saves. Therefore, his possible retirement from the Albiceleste would be a major blow. Nico Williams #17 of Spain heads the ball saved by Emiliano Martinez #23 of Argentina. Emiliano Martínez eclipsed Unai Simon at the 2026 World Cup At the end of the 2026 World Cup final, Unai Simón received the Golden Glove award in recognition of his outstanding performances. Having conceded just one goal, he kept seven clean sheets in eight matches, allowing him to break an all-time tournament record. However, the fans do not seem to agree with FIFA’s award, as Emiliano Martínez had a better performance throughout the tournament. According to Opta Analyst on its website, Emiliano made 20 saves throughout the World Cup, facing more chances than Unai Simón, who made only nine saves during the tournament. In addition, Argentina faced major defensive problems, while Spain had one of the best defenses in the tournament. With this significant difference, the 33-year-old star was considered the clear deserving winner of the Golden Glove award. Who could replace Emiliano Martinez in Argentina’s future? Throughout the last few years, head coach Lionel Scaloni has had Emiliano Martínez as his undisputed starter. In the middle of his possible retirement, Juan Musso and Gerónimo Rulli emerge as the clear options in the short term for the 2028 Copa América. However, both are over 31 years old, making them unlikely for the 2030 World Cup. Therefore, Argentina set their sights on a promising goalkeeper. Santiago Beltrán emerges as Argentina’s biggest prospect for the future. At just 21 years old, he is already River Plate’s starting goalkeeper, delivering solid performances. In addition, head coach Lionel Scaloni already called him up for two friendlies: vs. Honduras and vs. Iceland before the 2026 World Cup. If he continues his progress, he could be the great hope to be the starter in the 2030 edition, where they will look to win the title again.
Currently dealing with a muscle overload, Lionel Messi is reportedly expected to recover prior to Argentina's 2026 World Cup debut against Algeria in the group phase. Lionel Messi‘s fitness has become the most pressing concern surrounding Argentina with less than two weeks before the 2026 World Cup kicks off. With the Albiceleste’s opening group stage match against Algeria set for June 16, the captain is reportedly on track to be fully recovered in time for the tournament opener. Argentina‘s squad has already touched down in Kansas City to begin their training camp, using the pre-tournament window to sharpen their fitness before the competition begins. The cloud hanging over the preparations, however, has been the muscle overload Messi sustained during Inter Miami’s final MLS match against Philadelphia Union. According to TyC Sports journalist and Argentina insider Gaston Edul, Messi is fully expected to be fit for the World Cup debut against Algeria. That puts him in line to feature in all three group stage matches, against Algeria on June 16, Austria on the 22nd and Jordan on the 27th, though squad rotation in the final group game will depend on how the standings look by that point. The friendlies, however, present a tighter timeline. As Edul reported, Messi is “touched” physically at this stage, making it highly unlikely he will take part in the first warm-up game against Honduras on June 6 at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. #SelecciónMayor Modo Mundial activado ✅ ¡Hola Kansas! 👋🏻 pic.twitter.com/qom4kpwBbW— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) May 31, 2026 His best chance of getting minutes before the World Cup begins would be the second friendly against Iceland on June 9 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, a game that represents a potential final opportunity for him to get up to speed in the Albiceleste shirt ahead of the main event. Of the ten Argentina players reported to be managing various fitness concerns, star goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is the only one reportedly confirmed to miss both warm-up matches due to a fractured finger sustained during the Europa League final. With coach Lionel Scaloni expected to play Juan Musso and Geronimo Rulli in those games, Edul has confirmed that Martinez remains on track for the World Cup itself. Messi joins Argentina in Kansas City on Sunday Most of the Argentina squad and coaching staff have already made their way from the Ezeiza training complex to the United States, setting up base at the Sporting KC Training Centre, which will serve as their headquarters throughout the 2026 World Cup. Messi, who has been in North America since Inter Miami’s final MLS appearance, will join the group to officially consolidate the 26-man World Cup roster, along with several additional players called up for the June friendlies. Traveling alongside Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, Messi is expected to arrive at the Kansas City facility on Sunday night. The first full group training session is scheduled for Monday, June 1, marking the formal beginning of Argentina’s preparation to defend the World Cup title they claimed in Qatar in 2022.
Lionel Scaloni expressed complete confidence in Argentina's depth between the posts as the coaching staff monitors a finger injury sustained by starting goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Argentina’s undisputed No. 1, Emiliano Martinez, sparked heavy concern within the national team’s camp after admitting he played through the recent UEFA Europa League final with a broken finger. Amid the sudden injury cloud, manager Lionel Scaloni made a point to publicly back his reserve goalkeepers while the medical staff monitors the Aston Villa star’s recovery timeline ahead of the 2026 World Cup. “We are hoping his injury heals quickly, and we are waiting for him with open arms because he is incredibly important to this group,” Scaloni stated during an interview with DSports. “In any case, we have guys on the roster whom we trust completely, but there is no denying that Emiliano is fundamental to our system”. While Argentina have yet to officially lock in their final 26-man World Cup roster, Scaloni’s broader goalkeeper pool has plenty of coverage. Beyond Martinez, the manager included Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso, Walter Benitez, Facundo Cambeses, and highly-rated youngster Santiago Beltran on his preliminary 55-man provisional list submitted to FIFA. Out of that group, three goalkeepers will ultimately punch their ticket to North America. Recent reports indicate that the up-and-coming Beltran stands a serious chance of securing a spot, either as the official third-string keeper or as the designated training sparring partner to work alongside the veterans. Ver esta publicación en Instagram Una publicación compartida de DSPORTS (@dsports) In fact, Beltran is already one of six players formally confirmed to be part of the expanded 30-plus-man squad selected for Argentina’s upcoming World Cup warm-up matches on US soil. The reigning champions are scheduled to face Honduras on June 6 before wrapping up their tournament preparations against Iceland on June 9. Martinez likely ruled out for June friendlies While Santiago Beltran is locked in for the upcoming exhibition matches, Martinez will almost certainly sit them out. Renowned Argentine soccer insider Gaston Edul confirmed that while “Dibu’s” finger fracture will not require surgery, it does carry a mandatory recovery period of roughly 20 days. As a result, Martinez was already left out of Aston Villa’s Premier League season finale—where his side secured a massive 2-1 victory over Manchester City—and he will be probably rested through the June international window to ensure he is fully fit for the World Cup opener. Argentina’s 2026 World Cup group stage schedule The reigning world champions enter the tournament as the top-seeded heavyweight in Group J. Argentina will officially launch their title defense on Tuesday, June 16, squaring off against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Following the opener, the Albiceleste will relocate to Texas to play their remaining two group fixtures at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. They will clash with Austria on Monday, June 22, before closing out the opening round against tournament debutants Jordan on Saturday, June 27, aiming to comfortably book their spot in the newly formatted Round of 32.
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