With Paulo Dybala being called up to the Argentine national team for 2018 World Cup qualifiers beginning in October, many questions have been raised about the Argentine super talent. Only 21, Dybala has already shown that he has the potential to become one of the world’s best, from showing up in crucial games to putting in key passes, he has been hailed as Argentina’s next superstar. The question is, will he be used by the national team? Will he be able to hold up amongst the likes of Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria and Sergio Agüero?
When Gerardo Martino released the list for the squad that will be taken to qualifiers, it was no surprise that Dybala was called up. Argentina needed to secure his services to keep Italy from calling him up. The big surprise was that Higuain was not selected; something deserved after missing a penalty against Chile and missing a huge chance in the 2014 World Cup final. Dybala plays as a striker — something Argentina have in abundance — and Higuain looked like the most suitable to exit in a situation like this. All is not lost for the French-born Argentine, and he will surely feature again in the future.
When Mauro Icardi was called up to the national team, it wasn’t expected that he would start regularly, but many pundits would have liked to have seen him play again. In the end, it was more a strategy by the Argentine FA to secure his services so that he wouldn’t play for Italy and he hasn’t been called up since 2013. The question is: will the same happen to Dybala?
It would be a shame to keep calling up players such as Higuain who have underperformed. Demichelis is also a good example of players who need to be dropped. Replacements such as Funes Mori and Gabriel Mercado would best fit the defensive line. Up front, Dybala is no exception. He is a youngster with loads of potential and talent is surely deserving of a spot in the roster. He missed out on making his debut for Argentina in their 2-0 loss to Ecuador on October 8th, and will have to wait to show Gerardo Martino that he deserves a spot with one of the best teams in the world.
He is one of many talents from the South American powerhouse, and if he lives up to expectation, Argentina have a very bright future ahead of them. The question is, will he be able to live up to the billing; will he be able to fit into an Argentina side which seemingly has little to no cohesion without Messi? He will hope to answer all these questions against Paraguay in Argentina’s second fixture of the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers.
Dybala has been questioned by many pundits in the sense of his value over Gonzalo Higuain. Before the World Cup final, Higuain was well-respected and seen as cool and composed. This all changed after his miss in 2014 and it got even worse when he missed a penalty against Chile in the Copa America final. He would be a starter for most countries but Argentina would rather bring in a player who is young and has the potential to become one of the world’s best.
Paulo Dybala is surrounded by much hope and an overwhelming sense of potential. Some even go so far as to tout him as the next Lionel Messi. Whether or not he can deliver is unknown for now. However, one thing about him is certain: the Argentine media will have him on a pedestal as the next greatest thing which, for a 21-year-old, could be too much to handle.
