Report: De Paul fighting for starting spot as Argentina prepare changes around Messi vs England

Lionel Messi‘s Argentina remain firmly on course in their bid to defend their title, and they now face England in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup, with a place in the final on the line.

For this crucial match, Lionel Scaloni is reportedly set to make changes to the side that defeated Switzerland in the quarterfinals, and according to ESPN Argentina’s Diego Monroig, Rodrigo De Paul is one of the players who could be dropped from the starting eleven.

The Inter Miami midfielder is reportedly in danger of losing his starting spot against England, with Nicolas Gonzalez and Giuliano Simeone under consideration to replace him.

De Paul was one of the low points in Argentina‘s win over Switzerland, which is why Scaloni could opt to bring in both Gonzalez and Simeone out wide in midfield. Up front, the coach is expected to keep Messi alongside Julian Alvarez, again leaving Lautaro Martinez among the substitutes.

Nicolas Otamendi could earn a spot as well

Among the variants Scaloni is weighing is a change in formation. During much of Monday’s training session, the coach tested a back-five setup, with Nicolas Otamendi coming in as a center back alongside Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez, aiming for a more solid structure against England’s attacking threat.

That scheme would cost Rodrigo De Paul his spot in midfield to bring the veteran defender into the back line, a call Scaloni could hold off on until just before Wednesday’s clash in Atlanta.

Playing with five defenders isn’t new for Scaloni — he made the same switch during Qatar 2022, changing his approach against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, a match Argentina went on to win on penalties.