Just over two months from  2026 World Cup in Qatar The battle to join the Argentine national team is intensifying. Among the candidates,  Maxi Maple  He didn't hide his ambitions: invited to speak to el4set and ask them to compose his ideal list of eight players, the left-hander from Salta  He selected himself alongside Tapia, Chingotto, Stupaczuk, Di Nenno, Augsburger, Libaak and Tello . A deliberate candidacy for a player who now openly dreams of wearing the colors of the Albiceleste.

A list in which we therefore find  six of the eight 2024 world champions , with  Juan Tello and Maxi Arce  instead of  Sanyo Gutiérrez and Alex Chozas But beyond the names chosen, this statement above all confirms the Argentinian's ambitions.  Choosing oneself amidst such competition is no small matter. , while Rodri Ovide and Gaby Reca will soon have to choose from the impressive pool of Argentinian players.

Tello and Arce, two choices that make sense?

In the list imagined by  Maxi Maple Six 2024 world champions remain. The two changes therefore concern  Juan Tello and Arce himself , who would take the places of Sanyo Gutiérrez and Álex Chozas. Two choices that are far from insignificant.

2026 World Cup: Should Argentina change a winning team?

For  Tello The candidacy seems natural. The Argentinian has regained his place among the best players on the circuit this season and currently occupies the  16th place in the Race Above all, his absence from the 2024 World Cup was not a sporting decision: Tello had withdrawn from the competition due to the birth of his second child. His return to the national team would therefore constitute more of a  a return that is a true novelty .

The choice of Arce Street  is bolder, but several arguments now work in its favor. Its profile of  left-handed Potentially unique in the Argentine national team, he offers a different option to Rodri Ovide and Gaby Reca. The Salta player can also draw on his experience at the highest level and his ability to adapt to different teammates. He had notably reached the  Málaga P1 2025 quarter-finals with Franco Stupaczuk , an association of which he clearly retains excellent memories.

Arce, moreover, makes no secret of who he would like to play with in Qatar.

«  Thanks to my good rapport with Stupa and the pleasure I had playing alongside him, I choose Stupa  For the first match, I would take Chingo with Agus, and I would like him to finish the World Championship with Martín and Augsburger as his second partner. If a third match is necessary, I would prefer to play with Stupa. 

  Arce is a candidate, but far from being alone.  

However, to transform this ambition into a world-class selection,  Maxi Arce will have to survive some impressive competition .

Behind the players who seem the most difficult to leave out today, Argentina still has a multitude of options.  Sanyo Gutiérrez , world champion in 2024 and still a semi-finalist in Pretoria this season, remains in the running despite being 42 years old.  Alex Chozas He, who was also present at the coronation in Doha, can also defend his place.

At 42, Sanyo Gutiérrez still dreams of the World Cup: "I'm dying to play for Argentina again."

And the list doesn't stop there.  Tolito Aguirre, Gonza Alfonso, Juani De Pascual and Juani Rubini  They too can claim a summons.

This density explains why Arce was even more cautious in June: if he had already designated  Chingotto, Libaak and Di Nenno  among his right-wing players, he believed at the time that the last place was up for grabs between  Tolito, Sanyo, De Pascual and himself Two months later, his message had changed:  Arce is no longer just among the candidates; he's going straight into the top eight. .

With the World Cup now just over two months away,  Each result could weigh heavily in the final decision of Rodri Ovide and Gaby Reca .

Raphael Degironde

As a padel fan and player, I scan the padel scene: Beware, you are being watched!

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