Atlanta United playmaker Thiago Almada has received a call-up to the Argentine national team for their upcoming friendlies this month.
The Albiceleste are due to face Jamaica and Honduras as they prepare for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Argentina will also take on the United Arab Emirates in a final tune-up a week before their Group C opener against Saudi Arabia on November 22.
Lionel Scaloni named a 28-man roster for the upcoming friendlies, with iconic stars like Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, and Paulo Dybala unsurprisingly called up – as well as Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez.
Alongside those heavyweights, Atlanta United’s Almada has made the cut, with the youngster now battling to make his senior debut after representing Argentina across various youth levels and at the Olympic Games. Almada is the only MLS representative on the Argentine roster.
Almada was the difference-maker in Atlanta United’s 1-0 win over Orlando City on Wednesday, scoring another outstanding individual goal in the second half to settle the match.
The 21-year-old has been one of the standout players in a tough season for the Five Stripes, registering six goals and six primary assists in 26 MLS appearances, while he’s fifth in the league for chances created (73).
After winning back-to-back games for the first time this season, Atlanta United currently sit ninth in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind the Columbus Crew in seventh but having played one game extra.
The Five Stripes close out their regular-season campaign with home games against the Philadelphia Union and NYCFC, either side of an away trip to the New England Revolution.
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