Buenos Aires, Jan 29 (NA) – Argentina's national team coach, Lionel Scaloni, held a surprising meeting in Madrid this Thursday with his Atlético de Madrid counterpart, Diego Simeone, and met with several Argentine footballers. According to the Argentine News Agency, the meeting between 'El Cholo' and the coach from Pujato took place to discuss players eligible for the Albiceleste's match against Spain in the Finalissima, scheduled for Friday, March 27, 2026, at the Lusail stadium in Doha. The Atlético de Madrid coach would have expressed his dissatisfaction with the timing of the match, as it would occur at a crucial moment in the season for the Spanish capital's team. Simeone has six Argentine players in his squad: Julián Álvarez, Thiago Almada, Nahuel Molina, Nicolás González, Giuliano Simeone, and Juan Musso, all of whom have a chance to be in the squad. Late March will see the 30th round of the Spanish League, the Champions League round of 16, important matches against Real Madrid and Barcelona, and the Copa del Rey final in April. Atlético de Madrid's head coach could be left without ten regular players. In addition to the mentioned Albicelestes, the Spain national team could call up Marcos Llorente, Robin Le Normand, Pablo Barrios, Alex Baena, and Marc Pubill. After Scaloni's meeting with 'El Cholo', the national team coach, along with members of the technical staff, dined with several of his players in Argentina; Giuliano Simeone and Nahuel Molina were not there. They shared photos of the encounter on social media.
