Kevin Mac Allister Receives First Argentina Call-Up

Kevin Mac Allister, the elder brother of Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, has received his first call-up to the Argentina national team.

The defender from Union St.-Gilloise was named as a late replacement for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury.

Kevin is set to join his brother and the rest of Argentina’s squad for training in Alicante, Spain, ahead of their international friendly against Angola on November 14 in Luanda.

Alongside Kevin, Manchester United’s Lisandro Martínez and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendía were also called up. Notably, Atlético Madrid players Nahuel Molina, Julián Álvarez, and Giuliano Simeone have been removed from the roster due to their lack of yellow fever vaccinations, which are required for entry into Angola, as stated by the Argentina Football Federation.

At 28 years old, Kevin expressed his gratitude towards his Union St.-Gilloise teammates for their support in helping him achieve what he called “a dream.” In a video shared by his club, he addressed his teammates in the changing room, saying,

“I just want to say thank you to everybody. Because two hours before the game [a 1-1 league draw against Mechelen], I received a call. Tomorrow I am flying to Alicante to be with the national team. It will be my first time, and I know I am not there only for me, but also thanks to the people in this dressing room. So I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everybody.”

Kevin, who came to Union St.-Gilloise in the summer of 2023 from Argentinos Juniors, shared that his family is overjoyed with the news.

“My family is very happy,” he remarked. “When I called my wife, she was already crying, so it’s a really good feeling. Tomorrow, I will realize a dream.”

His brother, Alexis, has previously celebrated significant victories with Argentina, including winning the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América, and has scored six goals in 41 appearances for the national team.