The winger hasn't broken through with Argentina, but Saturday's match be the moment he needs
It should have been expected that, despite Argentina's perfect start to this Copa America, Alejandro Garnacho is still splitting opinions. It's something that has become the norm with the Manchester United star, at least on the international level.
For much of his young career, fans in Argentina have been divided when it comes to the teenager, and that division continues in these opening moments of his first major tournament.
Garnacho is one of Argentina's most-talked-about players at this Copa America despite the fact that he hasn't spent a second on the actual field. His teammates, of course, have taken care of business, sweeping aside both Canada and Chile to begin the Copa America. Yet, despite the perfect six-point start for Argentina, one question continues to reverberate across social media.
"Why isn't Garnacho playing?"
The answer is complicated. However, after two wins that came a bit tougher than many expected, Argentina may just need their young winger to spark some life into the attack, particularly in this upcoming third and final group stage game against Peru.
getty imagesGarnacho's Argentina career so far
If the 2022-23 season wasn't Garnacho's official breakout, the 2023-24 season was. In a campaign headlined by the Premier League's Goal of the Season, Garnacho became something of a household name with Manchester United by proving himself as one of Europe's most dynamic young stars.
For Argentina, that breakout hasn't happened. He's earned five caps since making his debut just over a year ago but, in those matches, he's played a grand total of 166 minutes. Of those, only five minutes have come in competitive matches: a quick cameo in a 3-0 win over lowly Bolivia in World Cup qualifiers.
There's one simple eason behind Garnacho's struggles to crack the Argentina XI: This team is very, very good.
AdvertisementGettyThe world champions' depth
One thing most World Cup winners struggle with is knowing when to let go. We've seen it time and time again. On the heels of tournament glory, coaches don't quite know when it's time to say goodbye to those who got them there and usher in a new generation.
It's a phenomenon that has led to some pretty dramatic downfalls. Thus far, that hasn't come close to happening to Argentina.
Since the 2022 World Cup, Argentina have lost just one of their 16 games, winning each of the other 15. There's been no post-World Cup hangover. This team has been a buzzsaw that has run through everyone and everything in the path since leaving Qatar with a trophy in hand.
They've done so, largely, by relying on the stars that got them there. Lionel Messi is, obviously, is still the main man, even if his time is winding down. Both Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez have stepped up in this tournament from the striker position, combining for all three of Argentina's goals. On the left, Angel Di Maria remains as tricky as ever, despite his age.
In Di Maria's place, though, Argentina have sometimes turned to Fiorentina's Nico Gonzalez, the preferred option behind the veteran winger. At the moment, Gonzalez is preferred over Garnacho. It's one of many position battles occurring all over the field with this talented Argentina team. Left-back, right-back, central midfield – each position has multiple contenders that coach Lionel Scaloni must sift through.
That's may be the most difficult part of his job these days. At the moment, Argentina essentially has too many options and, and some players – specifically Garnacho – have to settle for lesser roles.
GettyWhat Scaloni said
Scaloni was specifically asked about Garnacho's exclusion from the lineup and, in his eyes, it remains a complicated decision.
"I need to put him in, someone else has to come out,” Scaloni said this week. “It is very easy for you, but it is not easy for me to make that decision. We would love for him to play because he is a boy who gives us a very good freshness, but when you make the game plan, he has the intention that maybe he can come in and then the game changes.
“He still hasn’t had the opportunity, but we hope to give it to him and that he can take advantage of it. If he does it well he makes it difficult for both the coach and his teammates.”
That echoes a similar statement from earlier this month, when Scaloni called on Garnacho to be more consistent if he wants to push some of Argentina's top-performing stars out of the XI.
"We have high expectations for him,” Scaloni said. “We must bring him along the way we see fit, with the entire staff is communicating with him and insisting to him that there are things that he has to do more consistently. He’s fast and he’s good in one-versus-one moments. He has to do both more often. That’s what we’ve asked him to do.”
Getty ImagesThe underlying drama
When it comes to Garnacho, there is also an off-the-field side of things, and it isn't entirely fair.
Because he was born and raised in Madrid, Garnacho has battled some of the same stigmas that Messi himself dealt with at times during his career. Because he spent so much of his youth outside of Argentina, he's viewed by some as something of an outsider. It is, of course, unfair, as Garnacho has been totally committed to Argentina's cause since officially joining the program in 2022.
For some, Garnacho's idolizing of Cristiano Ronaldo is also problematic. Garnacho has made no secret of his admiration of the Portuguese legend, who, for so many years, rivaled his now-teammate Messi. Garnacho has spoken of his love for Real Madrid and, more notably, his regard for Ronaldo. The two were teammates at Manchester United and Garnacho has often been seen imitating the Portuguese star's trademark celebration.
In the current landscape, one often divided by this exhausting Messi vs Ronaldo debate, there's a section of fans that have seen Garnacho's admiration for the Portuguese star as an insult. Once again, it's ridiculous, but such is the tribalism of fans. It's not just fans, though; even Garnacho's own teammates have spoken out against his Ronaldo fandom.
"The only thing I wouldn’t do is celebrate like Cristiano," Di Maria told Ole. "I would score the goal and I would do like Messi does. I’ll stick with that."
Because of these supposed marks against him, Garnacho hasn't fully endeared himself to Argentina supporters. As a result, the fanbase is often split between those who want to see the young star in action and those who have no real love for a player they believe has some maturing to do.