Argentina's Squad Announced for FIFA World Cup 2026
Argentina's World Cup Squad Unveiled
A file image of Argentina football legend Lionel Messi (Photo: @Beta_footballs/X)
Buenos Aires, May 29: Argentina's head coach, Lionel Scaloni, has revealed the 26-player roster aimed at defending their FIFA World Cup title in North America.
With Lionel Messi at the forefront, the champions of Qatar 2022 are eager to repeat their success, a challenge not met since Brazil's back-to-back victories in 1962.
Messi is supported by a strong attacking lineup that features Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan and Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.
Scaloni has included several new faces who were absent from the Qatar squad, such as Valentin Barco, who had a standout season in Europe, Jose Manuel Lopez from Palmeiras, who serves as a backup for Alvarez and Martinez, and Nico Paz, who has impressed the coaching staff with his performance at Como.
As Messi prepares for his sixth World Cup, he is recovering from physical issues sustained during his last game with Major League Soccer's Inter Miami. Scaloni noted, "We were observing Messi's match when we noticed he requested to be substituted due to discomfort."
"The early assessments are not alarming. Of course, we would have preferred he remained injury-free. We will monitor his condition closely and expect further tests to clarify the situation," Scaloni added.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who suffered a finger fracture during the UEFA Europa League final with Aston Villa, is also part of the squad, along with defender Cristian Romero, who is recuperating from a knee injury.
Notably, nine players from the previous championship squad are missing this time: Franco Armani, Juan Foyth, German Pezzella, Marcos Acuna, Angel Di Maria, Alejandro Gómez, Guido Rodriguez, Paulo Dybala, and Angel Correa. Additionally, Real Madrid's young talent Franco Mastantuono did not make the final selection.
Seventeen players from the squad that triumphed in Qatar are returning for this tournament.
Argentina's World Cup journey will kick off against Algeria on June 16, followed by matches against Austria and Jordan in Group J.
To prepare for the tournament, Argentina will play friendly matches against Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9.
Argentina squad:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid)
Defenders: Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyonnais), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Valentin Barco (Racing Strasbourg), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)
Forwards: Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nico Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Nico Paz (Como), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan).