Flaco López joins Messi as teammate after recent rivalry | OneFootball

Currently enjoying what may possibly be his best phase at Palmeiras, striker Flaco López received his first call-up to represent Argentina last Monday. The center forward went from being a rival to a teammate of Lionel Messi in just two months.

In June of this year, Palmeiras traveled to the United States to compete in the Club World Cup. It was during this competition that Flaco and Messi crossed paths for the first time, when Verdão faced Messi's Inter Miami in the group stage.

On that occasion, both left with the feeling that they could have done more. Messi drew a blank for Inter Miami, who were leading 2-0 until the 35th minute of the second half. Flaco's Alviverde, led by Paulinho, managed to draw 2-2 in the final stages of the match.

Now, Palmeiras' top scorer in 2025, Flaco will meet Messi again, this time as a teammate. After being included in Argentina's preliminary list, Flaco was kept in the final call-up by coach Lionel Scaloni, who took advantage of the last rounds of the qualifiers to test new players.

Flaco López had never been called up for Argentina before. The number 42 is only the third player from Brazilian football to be remembered by Scaloni. Before him, the coach had only called up Almada (then at Botafogo) and Kannemann from Grêmio.

Flaco's call-up also broke a drought at Palmeiras. The last Argentine to be called up while still defending the colors of Verdão was Hernán Barcos. The striker, now at Alianza Lima-PER, had been called up by then-coach Alejandro Sabella.

The Argentine team of Flaco López and Messi will take the field for the last two rounds of the qualifiers. The Albiceleste will face Venezuela next Thursday (04), at 8:30 pm (Brasília time), at the Monumental de Nuñez. Then, they will visit Ecuador on Tuesday (09), at 8 pm, at the Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo Stadium.

Top scorer and great phase at Palmeiras

Flaco López is going through a great moment at Palmeiras. The Argentine center forward found himself again after the Club World Cup and raised his level of performance, especially when he started forming a striking partnership with Vitor Roque at Verdão.

After the World Cup, he has already scored six goals in 11 matches, with Flaco starting in only five of them. The striker quickly developed a rapport with Vitor Roque and helped transform Palmeiras' attack. Not surprisingly, Alviverde scored 10 goals in the last five games.

Beyond that, Flaco López is still the top scorer for Palmeiras this season. The Argentine has a total of 17 goals and three assists in 43 matches (22 as a starter).

In great form at Palmeiras, Flaco tries to surpass his most goal-scoring season for the club. In 2024, the center forward scored 22 goals in 61 games. Now, he has five fewer goals, but still has about 20 matches left this year to try to beat the record.

This Sunday, in fact, the striker already has a chance to score again. Palmeiras visits Corinthians starting at 6:30 pm, at the Neo Química Arena, for the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship. After the Derby, Flaco travels to join the Argentine national team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.