When Lionel Scaloni’s 2022 World Cup winners Argentina welcome Uruguay to a roaring La Bombonera in Buenos Aires this Friday, the iconic Clasico del Rio de la Plata will mark a historic new chapter.
Marking Argentina's first international squad since the official retirement of legendary captain Lionel Messi, Scaloni is officially turning the page toward the 2030 cycle by placing immense operational trust in his finest talent under the age of 23.
Across the touchline, La Celeste arrive in Buenos Aires undergoing a vibrant youth evolution of their own. With reference verified FotMob metrics, Striver.Football profiles the five stars to watch.
Argentina
Nico Paz (Attacking Midfielder)
Age: 22 years old
Verified 2026/27 Metrics: 10 Serie A starts | 3 goals | 3 assists | 21 chances created | 88% passing accuracy (plus 3 goals & 5 assists in 4 UCL apps)
Why Watch Him: The 22-year-old Como 1907 sensation is arguably the most in-form young playmaker in European football right now.
Operating seamlessly as a creative number 10 or drifting wide into half-spaces, Paz enters international duty having tallied eight direct goal contributions in just four UEFA Champions League appearances this autumn.
With the creative torch officially passing to the next generation, his vision on the half-turn will be Scaloni's primary engine to unlock Uruguay's compact lines.
Giuliano Simeone (Winger / Forward)
Age: 23 years old
Verified 2026/27 Metrics: 12 La Liga apps (9 starts) | 4 goals | 2 assists | 9 chances created | 83% passing accuracy | 7.40 average rating
Why Watch Him: Fresh off scoring a clinical opening goal against Barcelona in La Liga last weekend, Simeone brings relentless vertical pace and defensive grit to Argentina's frontline.
Averaging 18 successful tackles from the wing in Spain, his aggressive counter-pressing and direct channel runs will keep Uruguay's fullbacks pinned deep all evening.
Agustin Giay (Right-Back)
Age: 22 years old
Verified 2026/27 Metrics: 26 Brasileirao apps | 3 goals | 11 Copa Libertadores apps | 1 goal | 11 chances created | 88% passing accuracy
Why Watch Him: The 22-year-old Palmeiras right-back has firmly established himself as a premier modern fullback option in South America.
Giay pairs robust 1-v-1 defensive steel—logging 20 successful tackles and 34 clearances in continental play—with high-volume overlapping bursts down the flank.
Projected to start on the right side of Scaloni's back four, his recovery speed will be vital to neutralizing Uruguay's rapid wing transitions.
Uruguay
Juan Rodriguez (Center-Back)
Age: 21 years old
Verified 2026/27 Metrics: 11 Serie A starts | 890 mins played | 3 clean sheets | 78 clearances | 92% passing accuracy | 18 successful tackles
Why Watch Him: The towering Cagliari center-back has been an absolute defensive revelation in Italy this season, starting every single league match.
Boasting a staggering 78 clearances and a near-flawless 92% passing completion rate out from deep territory, Rodríguez pairs old-school aerial authority with elite composure.
Tasked with containing Julian Alvarez and Nico Paz in a hostile Buenos Aires atmosphere, his positioning will undergo its ultimate international test.
Facundo Bernal (Defensive Midfielder)
Age: 23 years old
Verified 2026/27 Metrics: 8 La Liga apps (6 starts) | 470 mins played | 3 clean sheets | 19 clearances | 88% passing accuracy (92% in UCL)
Why Watch Him: Since making the jump to Real Betis in Spain, the 23-year-old defensive midfielder has rapidly scaled Uruguay's engine-room pecking order.
Bernal acts as a disciplined structural screen ahead of the back four, excelling at intercepting central passes and cycling possession cleanly under heavy pressure.
His head-to-head tactical battle against Nico Paz in the pockets between lines will heavily dictate who controls the tempo of the derby.
Key lessons for youngsters
As demonstrated by Nico Paz, stepping into a primary playmaking role for a national team requires receiving possession on an open body angle between lines rather than waiting for static passes.
Giuliano Simeone highlights why modern wide players cannot survive on technical skill alone; pairing vertical line-breaking runs with aggressive defensive tackling is what locks down senior international starts.
Central anchors like Juan Rodríguez and Facundo Bernal show that elite pass accuracy under heavy pressure is just as vital as physical clearances when surviving high-intensity South American derbies.
