Scaloni Confirms Messi in Argentina's 26-Man Squad for 2026 World Cup

The Argentine Football Association revealed the national team roster for the 2026 World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The 26-player squad is led by captain Lionel Messi.

Argentina aims to secure its fourth World Cup title and second consecutive win, having previously won in 1978, 1986, and 2022.

Among the selected players, 17 were part of the team that won the title four years ago in the final against France.

Several of these players faced doubts regarding their participation due to varying degrees of injury severity ahead of FIFA's June 1 deadline for finalizing World Cup team lists.

Messi, who will celebrate his 39th birthday in less than a month, is currently dealing with muscle fatigue and a strain in the left hamstring. Inter Miami officially stated that Messi's recovery timeline will depend on his clinical and functional progress.

The Argentine star is preparing for his sixth World Cup appearance, having participated in the tournaments held in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is also confirmed for the World Cup squad despite suffering a broken finger on his right hand during the Europa League final last week.

Coach Scaloni included defender Cristian Romero, who is recovering from a lateral ligament sprain in his right knee sustained in mid-April while playing for Tottenham Hotspur.

Fullbacks Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel, both of whom scored decisive penalty kicks in the 2022 World Cup final shootout against France, are also part of the squad, recovering from muscle injuries.

Argentina will open its World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Group 10 of the group stage, which also features Austria and Jordan.

The "Tango Dancers" are scheduled to travel to their official World Cup base in Kansas City on Saturday, where they will play two friendly matches against Honduras and Iceland before the tournament begins.

The full Argentina squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille), Juan Musso (Atlético Madrid).

Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Leonardo Balerdi and Facundo Medina (Olympique Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolás Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon).

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

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Julián Álvarez, Nicolás González, and Julián Simeone (Atlético Madrid), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), José Manuel López (Palmeiras), Thiago Almada (Lyon), Nico Paz (Como).