{"id":1468900,"date":"2026-07-16T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1468900"},"modified":"2026-07-16T16:48:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:48:51","slug":"argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Argentina analysis: Lionel Scaloni&#8217;s underrated weapon in the 2026 World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/argentina\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Argentina<\/a> have made it to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/world-cup-2026-betting-tips-predictions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">World Cup<\/a> Final for the second straight time, thanks to a solid Plan B.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just before the tournament started, we selected the <em>Albiceleste<\/em> as one of the most intriguing national teams. Their &#8216;old-school&#8217; approach of overloading the centre of the pitch, looking for connections and playing in close proximity goes against the tendencies of modern football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-argentina-most-interesting-national-team-2026-world-cup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Argentina analysis: Why \u2018old school\u2019 Albiceleste are the most interesting national team in the 2026 World Cup<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are also not a very physical team overall, relying on a more technical profile of players. That has come at a cost, though, as they did struggle a number of times in the knockout stages. The long-fought battle against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/cabo-verde\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cape Verde<\/a> took a toll on them in the last-32 and it showed the following round against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/egypt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Egypt<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also manifested versus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/switzerland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Switzerland<\/a>, but Breel Embolo&#8217;s red card made things easier on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And despite them being far from their best, Argentina still managed to reach the final after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/post-match-analysis-england-vs-argentina-15-07-26\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">heroic win over England<\/a>. Now, it&#8217;s a showdown between them and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/spain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spain<\/a> for the trophy.<\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"sq-toplist\">\n        <div class=\"sq-toplist__items\">\n\t\t\t    <div\n            class=\"sq-toplist__item\"\n            data-entity-id=\"1382069\"\n            data-offer-id=\"1382068\"\n    >\n\t\t        <div class=\"sq-toplist__item-container\">\n            <div class=\"sq-toplist__offer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/en\/go\/spreadex?q=gb-all-top-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-brand=\"Spreadex\"data-placement=\"bookmaker-offers-content-toplist\" data-rating=\"10\" data-position=\"1\" data-placement-details=\"logo\" class=\"sq-toplist__logo\" style=\"background:#000000\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" 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and a \u00a31 racing Race Index spread bet. The promotion will run from 11th March 2025 until discontinued by Spreadex Ltd. using its reasonable discretion, (&#8220;Promotion Period&#8221;). Offer can only be used once per customer. Full T&amp;Cs apply.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content-text-holder\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lionel Scaloni heavily favours central combinations, quick, short passes and freedom of movement for his players. It&#8217;s the DNA of this Argentina side, and what they turn to at all times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when the going gets tough, they have a solid back-up plan. And it has arguably been their superpower during the 2026 World Cup, considering how they got through Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/england\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">England<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And no, it&#8217;s not hitting long-rage screamers, despite what the Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez heroics may lead you to believe. Although it certainly helps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>What has actually carried Argentina into World Cup Final?<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-underrated-set-pieces\" data-level=\"3\">Underrated set pieces<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-pin-point-crossing\" data-level=\"3\">Pin-point crossing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-killer-headers\" data-level=\"3\">Killer headers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-underrated-set-pieces\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Underrated set pieces<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We briefly touched on Argentina&#8217;s under-rated set pieces in a post-match analysis piece, but it deserves more attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Albiceleste<\/em> are currently first in set-piece goals this World Cup, with a whopping seven &#8211; no other side has more than five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1468905\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-267x267.jpg 267w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-74x74.jpg 74w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16004309\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you remove the two free-kick goals Giovani Lo Celso and Lionel Messi scored in a group stage game against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/jordan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jordan<\/a>&#8230; they are still first. Level with England and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">United States<\/a>, but still first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Removing penalties as well, the current champions remain first. That&#8217;s because they have scored the most goals from corners than any other national team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not only that, but three of the four have been decisive. Lisandro Mart\u00ednez&#8217;s header that gave them the lead back against Cape Verde and the Diney Borges own goal that sealed the win, plus Fernandez&#8217;s equaliser against England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other was Alexis Mac Allister&#8217;s header that opened the scoring in the win over Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr \/>\r\n<h2>SpreadEx Sign-Up Offer:\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n<p>SpreadEx are offering new customers the chance to get \u00a360 in free bets when they join and place \u00a310 in qualifying bets.<\/p>\r\n<p>To claim this offer, follow these steps:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Create your account by clicking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/go\/spreadex?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this link<\/a> or the image below.<\/li>\r\n<li>Register for your account by adding your details. 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Place a \u00a310 fixed odds single or \u00a310 each-way bet at minimum odds of 1\/2 and get 3 x \u00a310 free fixed odds bets, 3 x \u00a35 Total Goals football spread bets and 3 x \u00a35 Winning Favourites spread bets and a \u00a31 racing Race Index spread bet. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n<hr \/><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-pin-point-crossing\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pin-point crossing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set-piece goals are fun and all, but a lot of them wouldn&#8217;t even happen if it wasn&#8217;t for the crosses that generate them. And Argentina are killing teams on this department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Albiceleste<\/em> have the fourth-highest accuracy rate in crosses at the World Cup this summer &#8212; and the outright highest of any team that advanced to the knockout stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1468906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1-267x267.jpg 267w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1-74x74.jpg 74w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005201\/top_4-list-player-1x1-1-1.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those, in fact, are the only four sides with 30% or over in cross completion rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the <em>Albiceleste<\/em> do it in all ways: in or out-swingers, near or far-post. Lionel Messi is usually on duty, so the type of curve varies depending on where he takes corners and free-kicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He has been on point with those as well. Out of the top-23 players in most crosses attempted, Messi ranks first in accuracy (41%). It&#8217;s also the second highest return among the 40 footballers with over 15 attempts (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/uruguay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Uruguay<\/a>&#8216;s Maxi Araujo with 44%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Against England, far-post crosses with either foot caused Thomas Tuchel&#8217;s tall defence all sorts of problems. It&#8217;s exactly how Lautaro Martinez scored his late winner. And nearly all of them coming from the right-hand side.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"663\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-663x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1468909\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-663x1024.png 663w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-194x300.png 194w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-768x1186.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-995x1536.png 995w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-1326x2048.png 1326w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-173x267.png 173w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-130x200.png 130w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-39x60.png 39w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-97x150.png 97w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1-48x74.png 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010213\/pass_map_England1-2Argentina_Argentina_26_FWC-1.png 1360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 663px) 100vw, 663px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Argentina&#8217;s cross map vs England<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His in-swinging, near-post deliveries for Mac Allister headers across the goal gave Switzerland nightmares.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"663\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-663x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1468908\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-663x1024.png 663w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-194x300.png 194w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-768x1186.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-995x1536.png 995w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-1326x2048.png 1326w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-173x267.png 173w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-130x200.png 130w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-39x60.png 39w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-97x150.png 97w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC-48x74.png 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010130\/pass_map_Argentina3-1Switzerland_Argentina_26_FWC.png 1360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 663px) 100vw, 663px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Argentina&#8217;s cross map vs Switzerland<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the Cape Verde game, it was a mix of all of those combined.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"663\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-663x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1468907\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-663x1024.png 663w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-194x300.png 194w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-768x1186.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-995x1536.png 995w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-1326x2048.png 1326w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-173x267.png 173w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-130x200.png 130w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-39x60.png 39w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-97x150.png 97w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC-48x74.png 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16005620\/pass_map_Argentina3-2CaboVerde_Argentina_26_FWC.png 1360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 663px) 100vw, 663px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Argentina&#8217;s cross map vs Cape Verde<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Against Egypt, it was another level of success that Argentina encountered. Two goals and a further four shots created directly from crosses, whether they were from open play or set pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"663\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-663x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1468910\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-663x1024.png 663w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-194x300.png 194w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-768x1186.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-995x1536.png 995w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-1326x2048.png 1326w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-173x267.png 173w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-130x200.png 130w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-39x60.png 39w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-97x150.png 97w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC-48x74.png 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16010453\/pass_map_Argentina3-2Egypt_Argentina_26_FWC.png 1360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 663px) 100vw, 663px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Argentina&#8217;s cross map vs Egypt<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-killer-headers\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Killer headers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fernandez&#8217;s goal against Egypt might have been the best, most well-placed of all headers in the 2026 World Cup. But he hasn&#8217;t been the only one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cristian Romero scored a header of his own in the same game, Mac Allister pitched in against Switzerland and Lautaro Martinez simply couldn&#8217;t miss his against England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, Fernandez&#8217;s and Mac Allister&#8217;s headers all feature in the top-five for highest differential of xG post-shot compared to the moment of the attempt. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/chelsea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chelsea<\/a> midfielder took a chance worth 0.17 Expected Goals and turned it into 0.89 xG on Target (+0.72). The only header with a higher variance was Jan Paul van Hecke&#8217;s against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/tunisia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tunisia<\/a> (+0.73).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mac Allister, on the other hand, turned a header worth 0.14 xG into 0.78 xGOT (+0.64), the fifth highest variance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Argentina rank first in headed goals overall this World Cup, all of them coming in the knockout stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1468911\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2-267x267.jpg 267w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2-74x74.jpg 74w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012056\/top_4-list-player-1x1-2.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And they are also first in percentage of goals that were headed since the end of the group stage, among teams that have scored more than three times (36% &#8211; 4\/11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spain have cruised their way into the final establishing an all-time record for clean sheets in a single World Cup campaign (six). But height and strength isn&#8217;t exactly a strength of theirs. It could be a way for Argentina to get an advantage in what should be a tough game for both sides.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/world-cup-2026-betting-tips-predictions\/\"><strong>World Cup predictions &amp; tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/world-cup-outright-odds\/\"><strong>World Cup outright odds <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup-2026-fixtures-results\/\"><b>World Cup fixtures &amp; results<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/world-cup-2026-betting-offers\/\"><b>World Cup free bets<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Argentina have made it to the World Cup Final for the second straight time, thanks to a solid Plan B. Just before the tournament started, we selected the Albiceleste as one of the most intriguing national teams. Their &#8216;old-school&#8217; approach of overloading the centre of the pitch, looking for connections and playing in close proximity&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3354,"featured_media":1468913,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Argentina World Cup","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Argentina have made it to the World Cup final, thanks to a solid plan B. Read to know how it has carried them through the knockout stages.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[27631],"class_list":["post-1468900","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","squawka-category-world-cup"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Argentina analysis: Lionel Scaloni&#039;s underrated weapon in the 2026 World Cup | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Argentina have made it to the World Cup final, thanks to a solid plan B. 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Read to know how it has carried them through the knockout stages.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Squawka | EN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/16012956\/ScaloniArgentina150726_ID3F207NK-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@squawka\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Guilherme Mirra\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/11e48d44f9c6c2a722b00a0145e36b75\"},\"headline\":\"Argentina analysis: Lionel Scaloni&#8217;s underrated weapon in the 2026 World Cup\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-16T16:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":986,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/16012956\\\/ScaloniArgentina150726_ID3F207NK-scaled.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup\\\/\",\"name\":\"Argentina analysis: Lionel Scaloni's underrated weapon in the 2026 World Cup | Squawka | EN\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/argentina-analysis-lionel-scalonis-underrated-weapon-in-the-2026-world-cup\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/16012956\\\/ScaloniArgentina150726_ID3F207NK-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-16T16:00:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Argentina have made it to the World Cup final, thanks to a solid plan B. 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