Marcos Senesi Steps in for Injured Leonardo Balerdi in Argentina's World Cup Squad

Senesi Joins Argentina's World Cup Roster

Kansas City [US], June 12: The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has announced that defender Marcos Senesi will replace the injured Leonardo Balerdi ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

Balerdi's calf injury has resulted in his exclusion from the 26-man squad representing the defending champions, as reported by various sources.

At 29 years old, Senesi previously played for Premier League club Bournemouth from 2022 to 2026 and is set to join Tottenham Hotspur. He has also earned three caps for the Argentine national team.

Senesi played a pivotal role in Bournemouth's impressive sixth-place finish in the recent Premier League season, which secured the club's first-ever qualification for the UEFA Europa League, marking their debut in European competitions.

Argentina will kick off their World Cup journey against Algeria on June 16, followed by matches against Austria and Jordan in Group J.

Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 squad includes:

-Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico de Madrid).

-Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atletico de Madrid), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Otamendi (SL Benfica), Marcos Senesi (Tottenham Hotspur), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyonnais).

-Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Valentin Barco (RC Strasbourg).

-Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Paz (Como 1907), Thiago Almada (Atletico de Madrid), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico de Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico de Madrid), Lautaro Martinez (Internazionale), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Julian Alvarez (Atletico de Madrid).