A year and a half after achieving glory in Qatar 2022, five world champions from the Argentine National Team will not be in the Copa América 2024. Among the 26 players chosen by Lionel Scaloni to defend the title in the United States, the absences of Paulo Dybala, Thiago Almada, Juan Foyth, Ángel Correa and Alejandro “Papu” Gómez.
The one of Paulo Dybala It is the absence that resonated the most since the Roma striker, who played a crucial role in scoring one of the penalties in the final against France, was not called up for strictly football reasons, despite being physically fit.
Since the World Cup in Qatar, Dybala had limited appearances in the national team where He only accumulated 53 minutes on the court But the fact of suffering several injuries that kept him out of the squad in six games, he will not be in the continental tournament.
Another surprise was the exclusion of Angel Correa, which happened at the last minute. His absence is due to the impressive performance of the youthful Valentín Carboni in training and his outstanding performance in the friendly against Guatemala._
Even Lionel Messi praised Carboni, who played in Monza last season and belongs to Inter in Italy. The young man became one of the great promises of the Scaloneta for this cup and for the 2026 World Cup.
In case of Thiago Almada is particular, since his absence is not due to performance or injuries. Almada is the captain of the Argentina Under-23 team and is in full preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The Atlanta United player, who had minutes in the World Cup in Qatar, was reserved for the Olympic event, where he will wear the iconic number 10 shirt.
John Foyth, a Villarreal defender, was also left out due to his limited participation in the national team after the World Cup. He was only called up for the friendlies against Curacao and Panama last March.
Additionally, Foyth dealt with a chronic right shoulder injury He required surgery at the end of last year and that complicated his recovery, leaving him out of competition until the end of the season.
Alejandro “Papu” Gomez completed the excluded group. The midfielder was suspended for a doping case that came to light months after the World Cup. The two-year sanction was due to a positive test for a prohibited substance, which according to Gómez, came from a syrup he took without consulting the club’s doctors. This situation marginalized him from professional competition.
