Lionel Scaloni will wait until Monday to decide whether Lautaro Martínez, Julián Álvarez or both will start for Argentina against Austria in Dallas. It is the kind of call that can set the tone for a group match that could send Argentina straight into the round of 16 as winner of group J.
The choice matters because Argentina already opened with a 3-0 win over Argelia, and the attack that delivered that result may not look the same against Austria. Lautaro started that debut and was replaced by Julián at 55 minutes, a switch that underlined the decision Scaloni now has to make again.
Lautaro gave his manager a strong case. He began the debut against Argelia, had Argentina’s first chance with a header after three minutes, and finished a season in which he was top scorer in Serie A with 17 goals. He also scored in the final of the Copa Italia, added four goals in the Liga de Campeones de la UEFA, and helped Inter de Milán win Serie A and the Copa Italia.
Julián brings a different recent record, and he is also fully in the picture after the ankle problem that affected him before the debut. Scaloni said he had recovered and was an option, which is why the substitution at 55 minutes did not look like a one-way door. Julián scored eight goals in 29 La Liga matches, two in the Copa del Rey and ten in 15 Liga de Campeones matches, numbers that explain why he is more than a backup in this setup.
The friction is obvious in the record too. In 18 South American qualifier matches between 2023 and 2025, Argentina used Julián alone in ten, Lautaro alone in two and both together in six. That balance shows the problem in plain terms: the two forwards are not competing for a bench role, they are competing for the same central space, and Scaloni has already shown he is willing to use either one or both depending on the opponent and the moment.
There is no mystery about the stakes on Monday. Argentina face Austria in Dallas, and a win would guarantee first place in group J and qualification for the round of 16 as group winner. Scaloni has leaned on both forwards in major matches before, but this one will tell more than the scoreline about how he wants Argentina to attack when the margin for selection narrows.
