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Lionel Scaloni reportedly eyes Guido Rodriguez as Balerdi’s replacement on Argentina’s 2026 World Cup roster
Following Leonardo Balerdi's tournament-ending injury, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni is reportedly leaning toward naming Guido Rodríguez as his replacement for the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Scaloni has arrived at a critical decision point. The Argentina manager and his coaching staff must officially finalize and communicate their roster replacement for the injured Leonardo Balerdi before the 2026 World Cup gets underway. According to a report from ESPN Argentina insider Esteban Edul, Valencia defensive midfielder Guido Rodríguez has emerged as the frontrunner to claim the open roster spot left behind by the Olympique de Marseille center-back. While Edul noted that midfielders Máximo Perrone and Emiliano Buendía remain on Scaloni’s radar, Rodríguez currently holds a significant edge. By selecting a natural holding midfielder, Scaloni would secure tactical insurance for Leandro Paredes, who continues to undergo intensive rehabilitation for a right hamstring strain. Speaking at his Monday press conference ahead of Argentina’s friendly against Iceland, Scaloni indicated that a final decision will be made no later than Wednesday, June 10, factoring in how his remaining squad members recover physically from their final European warmup match. Guido Rodriguez of Argentina looks at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy. (Getty Images) “We can take these next few days, and by Wednesday, whoever we decide on will be with us,” Scaloni told reporters. “We feel well-covered in [Balerdi’s] position, so we will evaluate other options based on how the rest of the guys pull through physically”. Why is Scaloni swapping a defender for a midfielder? When Balerdi was ruled out with a muscle tear during training camp, conventional wisdom suggested Scaloni would simply call up a direct positional replacement or another versatile defender. However, the coaching staff is highly confident in their current defensive depth, assuming no further injuries surface before the opening World Cup whistle in North America. Argentina‘s final roster boasts a robust defensive unit featuring right-backs Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel, a world-class central pairing of Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, and Nicolás Otamendi, alongside Facundo Medina and Nicolás Tagliafico holding down the left side. Furthermore, Scaloni has baked immense flexibility into his squad; versatile players like Nicolás González, Valentín Barco, and Giuliano Simeone are fully capable of dropping back into wing-back roles, which would allow Medina to shift centrally if extra cover is needed.
Robert Lewandowski one goal away from Barcelona’s top 10 scorers: How far is he from Lionel Messi?
Robert Lewandowski is just one goal away from writing his name in FC Barcelona's top 10 historic goalscoring list, prompting questions on how far he sits from legend Lionel Messi. Robert Lewandowski has already said his goodbyes to FC Barcelona fans at Camp Nou, but he still has one final opportunity to etch his name a little deeper into the club’s history by cracking the all-time top 10 scorers list. With that milestone within reach, the question of just how far the Polish striker stands from the club’s greatest legend, Lionel Messi, is worth examining. In the match against Real Betis on Sunday, Lewandowski was substituted in the 85th minute to a standing ovation from the Camp Nou crowd, and after the final whistle he took to the center of the pitch alongside his family to say his farewells. “Thank you very much for coming today; for me, this is an emotional and difficult day, but when I arrived, I knew this was a massive club, and with your affection, it has been incredible,” he began. “From day one, I felt at home. I will never forget when you chant my name. Thank you to the players, the coaches, and the staff; it has been an honor to work for this club. We have experienced great moments over these four years, and I feel proud of everything we have done together. I say goodbye at the stadium, but I will always carry Barca in my heart. Thank you to you, the fans. Once a Culer, always a Culer. Visca el Barca and visca Catalunya,” he concluded, visibly moved by the occasion. Across his four seasons at Barcelona, Lewandowski has accumulated 119 goals in 192 appearances, posting an impressive scoring rate of 0.62 goals per game despite arriving at the club at the age of 33. With Barcelona having already secured the La Liga title, there is one game remaining against Valencia on Saturday, May 23, giving the striker a final opportunity to add to his legacy. Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona is hoisted by teammates. According to Transfermarkt, Lewandowski currently sits 11th on the all-time Barcelona scoring charts, one goal behind Josep Escola, who played for the club in the 1930s and 1940s and recorded 120 goals in 191 appearances. A single goal against Valencia would draw him level with Escola and move him into the top 10; two would give him sole possession of that spot. The comparison with his time at Bayern Munich is instructive. Lewandowski stands as the Bavarians’ second all-time top scorer with 344 goals, trailing only the legendary Gerd Müller at 570. The key distinction is that he spent eight years at Bayern in the prime of his career, while arriving at Barcelona already as a veteran, making his four-year impact at the Catalan club all the more remarkable. Lewandowski still far from the top foreign scorers and Messi In just four seasons, Lewandowski won over the Barcelona fanbase during a period marked by financial uncertainty and institutional upheaval at the club. Yet when it comes to pure output, he falls short not only of Lionel Messi but also of several foreign legends who left their mark at the Blaugrana. Messi stands alone at the top of the all-time scoring charts with 672 goals in 778 games, an extraordinary average of 0.86 goals per game, equating to a goal roughly every 95 minutes. Lewandowski’s rate of one goal every 118 minutes, while impressive for a player of his age, highlights the considerable gap between the two. Among Barcelona’s foreign-born scorers specifically, Lewandowski currently sits seventh, trailing Luis Suarez with 195 goals, Laszlo Kubala with 193, Samuel Eto’o and Rivaldo with 130 each, and Patrick Kluivert with 122. Notably, however, Lewandowski has achieved his tally in fewer appearances than any other player on that list, making his four-year contribution one of the most efficient in the club’s modern era.
Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid would not be a good idea, says former Spain international Gaizka Mendieta
Jose Mourinho looks like the main person for the Real Madrid manager position, but Gaizka Mendieta thinks it wouldn't be the best idea for the club. There still is no certainty about Álvaro Arbeloa’s continuity as Real Madrid manager, but it is almost certain that he will not come back. In that search, many names have been mentioned, with Jose Mourinho being the most prominent one. For former Spain international Gaizka Mendieta, that would not be the best choice, as he explained in an interview with PlayUK. Mendieta said: “To me personally, Mourinho going back to Real Madrid is a surprise. I think sometimes a second spell is risky. In my experience, there are not many cases where it works. A third time, I do not think it is appropriate. I also think he is not the same Mourinho he was years ago, the first time. I think a lot has changed for Mourinho himself.” The former midfielder has plenty of experience in the sport, having starred for Valencia before moving to Barcelona, while also playing for Spain’s senior team. Mendieta’s thoughts also included his preferred replacement as manager. Mendieta picks Raúl as Real Madrid manager The former player chose a club legend as the best possible manager: “I think that if Florentino Perez called him, he would obviously go, but that is not going to happen. And Raúl is not waiting by the phone because he knows that his moment probably passed years ago, maybe just before Xabi Alonso.” Mendieta was the captain in Valencia (Shaun Botterill /Allsport) Hiring a Real Madrid legend like Raúl could create a big reaction in the dressing room, which may seem like the main issue. Even so, that looks almost impossible, as the former striker has not been in the running. Mendieta said: “It was then that he thought it was his moment. I would have loved to see him there. I think he was ready, especially when they made a managerial change that was not new to the team, like what happened with Arbeloa.” The future manager There are many things the new manager will need to succeed. Tactical knowledge is a must, while being able to manage players with difficult personalities may be even more important. For the former left-footed midfielder, the squad should also be heavily revamped. Mendieta said: “There are two sides to it. One is that they have not won a title in two years and the manager they hire must do better than the others. But at the same time, it is a risk because it is clear the club needs to sign players, almost one for each line. That is what Alonso wanted.”