Ahead of the match between the Argentina National Team and Paraguay, which will take place this Thursday at the Defensores del Chaco for the 11th round of the South American Qualifiers, Lionel Scaloni held a press conference. During it, the Albiceleste coach was asked if he had had the opportunity to speak with Franco Colapinto, the Argentine Formula 1 driver for the Williams team.

When asked about a potential conversation with the native of Pilar, Scaloni confirmed that the opportunity hadn't yet arisen: "No, I haven’t spoken to Colapinto. He was in Mallorca last week and I was in Argentina," the Santa Fe native explained.

"I would have liked to. His manager wrote to me, but we crossed paths in the opposite direction," Scaloni said with a laugh. "There will be an opportunity," he added, leaving open the possibility of a future meeting. Currently, Colapinto is preparing for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which will take place on the weekend of November 22.

Additionally, Colapinto’s future in Formula 1 remains uncertain, especially with the growing tension at Red Bull over the choice of a second driver to accompany Max Verstappen in 2025. Franco has become the center of this debate between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, the key leaders of the team. While Horner sees Colapinto as a great talent and would be willing to offer him a seat on the main team, Marko continues to consider Liam Lawson as the ideal candidate to be Verstappen’s teammate next season.

Scaloni Has His Starting Eleven Ready for Paraguay

With the last practice completed and before his trip to Asunción, Scaloni is finalizing the details to determine the starting lineup for Thursday’s match against Paraguay. In the press conference, the coach gave some hints about the lineup.

"I have the team pretty much decided, it will be very similar to the last match against Bolivia. I haven't confirmed it to them yet, but I have some doubts," Scaloni said.

Although Emiliano Martínez’s place in goal is almost certain, replacing Gerónimo Rulli, the main uncertainties revolve around the forward and midfield positions. With Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández, and Rodrigo De Paul confirmed in midfield, and Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez in the attack, the key question is whether Lautaro Martínez will be included in the attacking trio or if an additional midfielder will be added, with Giovani Lo Celso and Leandro Paredes as options.