Assam CM Receives Signed Lionel Messi Jersey Amid World Cup Preparations
Exciting Gift for Assam's Chief Minister
On Wednesday, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, was thrilled to receive a signed jersey from the iconic footballer Lionel Messi. Expressing his joy on social media, Sarma mentioned that he was pleasantly surprised by the gift, labeling it as one of his favorites. He shared, "I didn't expect to receive this one. A signed Lionel Messi jersey! This one's definitely going straight to the favorites; Nandil and Sukanya would be ecstatic."
Messi's Inclusion in Argentina's World Cup Squad
Lionel Messi has been included in Argentina's preliminary 55-man squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. Coach Lionel Scaloni is in the process of assembling his team to defend their title after their victory in 2022. Although Messi has not confirmed his participation, he remains a crucial part of Scaloni's long-term strategy as the team gears up for the tournament.
The provisional squad features several players based in Europe, including Cristian Romero from Tottenham, Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea, and Nico Paz from Como. Despite being sidelined for the rest of the Premier League season due to injury, Romero has still been selected as Argentina evaluates their options ahead of final squad decisions.
Messi's World Cup Legacy
Messi holds the record for the most appearances in World Cup history, having played in 26 matches. During Argentina's victorious campaign in the 2022 World Cup, he made significant contributions, becoming the first player since Diego Maradona in 1986 to achieve 10 goal contributions in a single tournament.
Argentina aims to become the first team to win back-to-back men's World Cups since Brazil in 1962. However, recent trends are not in their favor, as three of the last four defending champions were eliminated in the group stage. Argentina has been placed in Group J alongside World Cup newcomers Jordan, two-time African champions Algeria, and Austria, who are making their first tournament appearance in the 21st century.
FIFA World Cup 2026 - Argentina's Provisional Squad
Goalkeepers
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico de Madrid), Walter Benitez (Crystal Palace FC), Facundo Cambeses (Racing Club), Santiago Beltran (River Plate)
Defenders
Agustin Giay (Palmeiras), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atletico de Madrid), Nicolas Capaldo (Hamburger SV), Kevin Mac Allister (Union Saint Gilloise), Lucas Martinez Quarta (River Plate), Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Otamendi (SL Benfica), German Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Lautaro Di Lollo (Boca Juniors), Zaid Romero (Getafe CF), Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille), Marcos Acuna (River Plate), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyonnais), Gabriel Rojas (Racing Club)
Midfielders
Maximo Perrone (Como 1907), Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Guido Rodriguez (Valencia CF), Anibal Moreno (River Plate), Milton Delgado (Boca Juniors), Alan Varela (FC Porto), Ezequiel Fernandez (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Nicolas Dominguez (Nottingham Forest), Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa), Valentin Barco (RC Strasbourg)
Forwards
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Paz (Como 1907), Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico de Madrid), Tomas Aranda (Boca Juniors), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico de Madrid), Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico de Madrid), Matias Soule (AS Roma), Claudio Echeverri (Girona FC), Gianluca Prestianni (SL Benfica), Santiago Castro (Bologna FC), Lautaro Martinez (Internazionale), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Julian Alvarez (Atletico de Madrid), Mateo Pellegrino (Parma Calcio).