Argentina is off to a thrilling start at the 2025 U-20 World Cup in Chile, having thrashed Nigeria 4-0 on its way to the quarterfinals. But while the Albiceleste is no stranger to glory on the youth football scene, fans are eager to know how that can translate to the first team.

The 2026 World Cup is right around the corner, and there are bound to be some changes from the Qatar 2022 championship team. We took a look at which players could potentially be suiting up for another big tournament appearance in just eight months.

The ones we’re missing out on

Because the U-20 World Cup isn’t a top-tier FIFA international tournament, clubs are allowed to deny national teams the chance to feature some of their players. As such, some of the biggest youth stars aren’t representing their countries in Chile.

For Argentina, this means that Real Madrid sensation Franco Mastantuono and Bayer Leverkusen’s Claudio Echeverri, two of Argentina’s biggest young stars, are not present.

Mastantuono is probably the player with the most chances to make it into the 2026 World Cup. After bursting into the spotlight with River Plate in 2024, he’s been highly touted as Argentine football’s next big thing, ousting Echeverri as the most promising prospect of Argentine football. 

Since joining Real Madrid in June 2025, he’s gone on to play in six games, dazzling fans with his skills on the ball and earning high praise from head coach Xabi Alonso for his “fiery competitiveness.”

Maher Carrizo – Forward

Without Mastantuono and Echeverri on the team, the brunt of the offensive load has fallen on the shoulders of Velez Sarsfield’s Maher Carrizo. The 19-year-old from Santiago del Estero has become one of the best young players in the Argentine Primera Division, tallying 10 goals and an assist in 30 games so far this year.

Carrizo, whose lanky, slim figure cuts some resemblance to Ángel di María, can play all across the attack. Standing at 1.80 meters, he’s deceptively quick and skilled off the dribble and can score coming from the wings or darting down the middle as a striker.

The open question, of course, is can he make it to the 2026 World Cup? Maybe. Di María’s retirement has left a more or less unfulfilled gap for a tricky left winger. Nicolás González, Mastantuono, and others have stepped up on different occasions, but neither has looked like the complete package. If Carrizo can carry his current momentum, he’s got a chance.

Julio Soler – Defender

Former Lanús starlet Julio Soler has often been touted as Argentina’s next great left back, a position where the Scaloneta definitely needs some help as Nicolás Tagliafico and Marcos Acuña enter the latter stages of their careers.

A dynamic, strong left-footed defender, Soler could fit like a shoe into the Argentine national team. His fitness and speed allow him to dart forward and constantly join the attack from the back, running up and down the field. He also has the technique and ball control required to play head coach Lionel Scaloni’s passing style and can create scoring opportunities from the flanks.

He has a chance to make it to the World Cup, given that currently there are very few options in his position other than the usual suspects and a few outsiders. 

The main thing hindering his chances is how little club football he has played. He’s only featured once for Bournemouth in the English Premier League this season. If he can secure more playing time or catch a lucky break and become a staple for the Cherries, he could be suiting up very soon.

Alejo Sarco – Striker

Argentina’s leading goalscorer in the tournament so far, Alejo Sarco has shown why German giant Bayer Leverkusen was eager to pick him up after his contract at Vélez Sarsfield ran out.

A modern, complete striker, Sarco is a clinical finisher, strong enough to play with his back to the goal and win aerial duels but also quick off his mark to run and receive long passes into open spaces. 

His chances for the World Cup, however, are slim. While there’s little doubt he’s one of the best talents at head coach Diego Placente’s disposal, Sarco is competing not only against a ticking clock but also his would-be teammates. In Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez, Argentina has two of the best strikers in the world at its disposal, to the point that both have had to share the spotlight at times. Without an injury or a serious decline in form for either of them, the 2026 World Cup looks a bit too near for Sarco’s chances to don the Albiceleste.