The 2026 World Cup will be a strange feeling for Lazio fans. This is the first time in 40 years that the club will not be sending any players to the tournament – but the Biancocelesti still have plenty of reasons to watch the action this summer.
Although many will simply tune in to get their fix while domestic football pauses until pre-season gets underway, others will take the opportunity to watch the World Cup to scout potential transfer targets. More often than not, international football can allow an up-and-coming star to announce himself to prospective buyers, or it can help a wantaway player secure a move elsewhere.
In Lazio’s first XI, there are plenty of issues which need to be addressed, none more so than the striker option. Finishing ninth in Serie A, the team managed just 41 goals in 38 matches, with no player managing more than five strikes.
That has led to them looking at potential solutions in the transfer market. And their supposed interest in AC Milan’s Santiago Giménez means Mexico could be a team to follow for Lazio supporters.
Giménez hoping to shine for Mexico this summer
After missing most of the 2025/26 season through injury, Giménez might well have been concerned about his place in Mexico’s World Cup squad. He only returned to the pitch in March 2026 after a five-month absence, but Javier Aguirre selected the 47-cap international nonetheless, no doubt because of his experience.
Although Raúl Jiménez will likely be the starting number nine for El Tri, Giménez might have a chance to make an impact from the bench this summer. Mexico have winnable games in Group A against South Africa and South Korea, before their final match of the group stage against Czechia. Two wins in their opening games could therefore make matchday three irrelevant for Mexico, which might lead to Giménez starting.
Lazio fans who want to see how the striker and Mexico are expected to fare this summer can find goal.com World cup odds predictions, where they can keep an eye on the latest odds. And many will hope to see Giménez at his best, as club officials keep one eye on his availability this summer.
Positive World Cup could lead to fresh start for Gimenez at Lazio
With incoming Lazio boss Gennaro Gattuso reportedly targeting Giménez as a potential solution to the club’s goalscoring woes, a positive World Cup from the Mexican international could convince any doubters that he is still the same player who shone at Feyenoord.
He impressed for the Eredivisie club, scoring 65 times across 105 matches in all competitions, but Giménez has struggled at the San Siro since his move to Italy in 2025. The second half of the 2024/25 campaign brought just six goals in all competitions, while he failed to score in any of the 16 Serie A games he played this campaign.
Some reports have indicated that Milan would already consider an exit, despite him being under contract until 2029. That, combined with his excellent performances at Feyenoord, could make Giménez a risk worth taking by Lazio as they seek to revamp a misfiring forward line. Should he shine at the World Cup, that will only make him an even more attractive prospect.