Guido Rodríguez scored for Valencia in their 4-3 away win against Real Sociedad in La Liga’s matchday 37.
The Argentine midfielder, who is part of Lionel Scaloni’s 55-man preliminary list for the 2026 World Cup, continues to have a good season with Valencia. The former River Plate player scored the temporary 3-3 equalizer in the 89th minute after a corner kick and a great header inside the box.
A few minutes later, Valencia scored again to complete the comeback and win 4-3 away from home.
With the win, Valencia remain in contention to qualify for the UEFA Conference League for the 2026/2027 season heading into the final matchday.
Benfica have announced that Nicolás Otamendi will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Nicolás Otamendi will be leaving Benfica after six seasons at the club, winning four trophies. The 38 year old joined Benfica in 2020 from Manchester City.
Otamendi is rumored to be returning to Argentina with River Plate being linked to the player.
Thiago Almada could be leaving Atletico Madrid with Boca Juniors on the radar.
Almada joined Atletico Madrid from Botafogo at the start of the season but has not been a regular under coach Diego Simeone. According to Fernando Czyz, Almada’s agent is presently in Madrid negotiating his departure.
The 25 year old has a contract with Atletico until June 2030 but would not be against returning to Argentina. Almada has played in 26 league matches, many of them coming off the bench as a substitute.
Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni spoke about repeating as World Cup champions.
Lionel Scaloni has won four trophies with the Argentina national team, the biggest one being in 2022 when he won the World Cup. No team has successfully defended and won back to back World Cup titles since 1958 and 1962 when Brazil repeated as winners. Speaking in an interview with CONMEBOL, Scaloni spoke about the team and the World Cup. Here is what he had to say:
“To win, a lot of things have to come together. It’s not just about playing well.
“It’s very difficult. We are obviously going to try, just like Argentina does every time it steps up. Try to reach the maximum. It’s tough but not impossible.
“With the coaching staff, we leave nothing to chance but we are very concise in what we tell them.
We” don’t pass on all the information we really have because we block them up.
“We breathe football and try to make sure nothing slips through our fingers.”
“We’re killing ourselves to arrive in the best physical shape, we do double training sessions, apart from the club. I record everything to make it look like a little movie.
“He doesn’t like it but I tell him: ‘Look if it happens for us, little guy, we make a little documentary and win an Oscar. I motivate him, I pump him up to the max.”
He also commented on the Argentina national team and wanting to win the World Cup:
“You don’t live without thinking about the World Cup Every time it feels closer, those thoughts pop into your head way more often. You live with that. right? With the fears, the uncertainty, the joy that takes you to a World Cup.
“For my part, I’m really pumped and full of excitement I think the national team is going to be a protagonist again. It’s really tough, but I see in my teammates a conviction and a hunger for it to keep happening.
“We won a Copa America and went for the second. We won the Finalissima and we were itching to compete against Spain, we were texting each other when it seemed like it wasn’t happening. And the same with this World Cup, the team is super ready to give everything it’s got.”
