Otamendi shines again! Benfica defender brings fresh news for Argentina | OneFootball

Nicolás Otamendi has been called up once again to represent the Argentina national team. The central defender for Benfica, the leader of the Eagles’ defensive line, continues to perform at a high level for the team, and his strong performances have not gone unnoticed in his homeland.

Otamendi has been called up for the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, against Venezuela and Ecuador (on September 5 and 9, respectively). The central defender is a regular figure in the Argentina National Team and Scaloni, the coach of the Albiceleste, did not want to miss out on the experienced Benfica player.

This is yet another chapter in Otamendi’s successful history with the Argentina National Team. The 37-year-old central defender has already represented his national team 126 times throughout his career, a spectacular record that could be improved at the beginning of next September.

Scaloni, moreover, has decided to make an extended call-up, summoning a total of 31 players for the national team. The goal is to anticipate any injuries or other issues that might prevent some players from attending the national team camp, thus avoiding the need for last-minute replacements. In addition to Otamendi, former Benfica player Enzo Fernández has also been called up.

Besides Otamendi, there is another player from Benfica’s squad called up for his national team’s matches at the start of September: we’re talking about Franjo Ivanovic. Just like the Eagles’ captain, the team’s recent signing has been called up to play for the Croatian national team, also next month.

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