CORNERFLICK
Argentina face Switzerland again with the same old problem: Ángel Di María is no longer there to decide it.
The last World Cup meeting between the sides came in Brazil in 2014, when Di María scored late in extra time to send Argentina into the quarter-finals. Twelve years on, the left side of Lionel Scaloni’s attack still lacks a settled replacement.
Since Di María retired after helping Argentina win the 2024 Copa América, Scaloni has tested a long list of options. Thiago Almada, Giovani Lo Celso, Julián Álvarez, Nicolás González and Alexis Mac Allister have all been used there, with Mac Allister moved wide to help balance the side.
The changes have even altered Argentina’s shape. They used a 4-4-2 against Egypt, a shift from the 4-3-3 set-up more common in their 2022 World Cup run.
Di María’s record shows why the gap is so hard to fill. He made 145 appearances for Argentina, scored 31 goals and provided 32 assists before ending his international career as a World Cup, two-time Copa América and Finalissima winner.