If it were solely up to Alexis Mac Allister then he’d probably play for Argentina in any physical state. The Liverpool midfielder is part of a generation of players who value the national team over anything else, sometimes causing friction with their clubs.
For the Reds in the recently concluded season, the 26-year-old played 49 matches. After the Premier League title was won his involvement dropped, and there’s been an injury issue to manage.
That’s why he’s not in the current Argentina squad. So is the Liverpool player happy about that, now he’s able to get some added rest time with his family? Absolutely not.
He’s been speaking to the media in his home country, and [TyC Sports](https://www.tycsports.com/seleccion-argentina/alexis-mac-allister-el-gran-ausente-en-la-seleccion-argentina-no-estar-me-da-bronca-id665361.html) quote Mac Allister as saying: “_Not being on the list infuriates me; sometimes it’s a question I ask myself every day. But I’ve had some issues throughout the year. It’s not a major injury; it’s a minor one, but it’s better to rest before it gets worse. We have the World Cup very close._
_“We’re aware that we’re in the national team. Good players always emerge, and that means we never relax and want to be here._ _The important thing is to have leaders like Scaloni, Leo (Messi), Fideo (Di María) in his time, Otamendi… they’re players who led us on the path of continuing to try. Or Leo, who won everything and wants to keep achieving things.”_
There’s perhaps little chance that Mac Allister faces being forced out of the Argentina set up in the near future, but he’s obviously aware there’s some excellent players coming through and therefore every match is approaching an audition.
The 2026 World Cup is almost exactly a year away, and that will be the Liverpool player’s priority for the next 13 months, with him explaining: _“Quality players keep coming in, and we’re happy and excited about the future. Winning is always the best thing; that’s what matters most to me. At Liverpool and with the Argentina national team, I prioritize that. I’m really looking forward to playing in another World Cup; this year is going to be key. The World Cup is going to be very difficult. France and Spain are at a great level. Brazil always comes out strong at the World Cups, and even more so with Ancelotti.”_