Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has revealed the 26-member squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to begin on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Captain Lionel Messi is included and is expected to make his sixth World Cup appearance despite a recent left hamstring injury sustained while playing for Inter Miami.
The 38-year-old forward remains the cornerstone of Argentina’s bid to defend the title won in Qatar in 2022, having scored seven goals and provided three assists during that tournament. The South American champions will start their preparations with two international friendlies, facing Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9 before relocating to Kansas City ahead of the competition.
Argentina has been drawn in Group J for the World Cup and will open their campaign against Algeria on June 16. They will then play against Austria and Jordan. This squad announcement arrives as Scaloni continues to refine player combinations and monitor fitness levels ahead of the tournament.
The selected squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso.
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi, Leonardo Balerdi, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Tagliafico, Facundo Medina.
Midfielders: Giovani Lo Celso, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Exequiel Palacios, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Valentin Barco.
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Nicolas Gonzalez, Giuliano Simeone, Lautaro Martinez, Jose Manuel Lopez, Julian Alvarez, Thiago Almada, Nico Paz.