Why isn’t Julian Alvarez starting for Argentina against Cape Verde at the 2026 World Cup?

Argentina take on Cape Verde in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup in Miami, and manager Lionel Scaloni has once again decided to leave Julian Alvarez out of his starting eleven.

For this crucial knockout game, Scaloni is set to stick with the same frontline that’s carried Argentina through the group stage, with Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez leading the front.

The decision comes down to form and fitness rather than any dip in quality. Alvarez arrived at the World Cup managing an ankle issue that limited his preparation, and it kept him out of the starting lineup for Argentina’s first two group games, against Algeria and Austria

He finally earned his first start of the tournament in the group finale against Jordan, but the performance wasn’t convincing enough to unseat Martinez, who has started every match for Argentina so far.

Alvarez has recovered, but Martinez has been the better option

Alvarez is no longer dealing with any lingering fitness concerns — the ankle issue that disrupted his buildup to the tournament is fully behind him, and he’s back to full physical condition.

The problem was timing: he spent the days before the World Cup working to recover in time, which cost him valuable rhythm and preparation heading into the group stage.

Martinez, meanwhile, arrived in better shape and has taken full advantage of it, starting every match for Argentina and already finding the back of the net. With the Inter Milan forward in strong form and Alvarez still working to fully rediscover his sharpness after a disrupted buildup, Scaloni has made it clear who his starting striker is heading into the knockout rounds.