Messi in for Argentina as Scaloni names 55-man longlist for World Cup squad

Skipper Lionel Messi heads Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni’s preliminary squad for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, though the legendary number 10 has yet to confirm he will appear at the tournament.

With few surprises, Scaloni’s 55-man shortlist – announced by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) on Monday – will eventually be trimmed to a final 26-player squad, which is expected to be announced around May 30.

Alongside Messi on the longlist are fellow World Cup winners Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi, Cristian ‘Cuti’ Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Exequiel Palacios, Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez. 

The other members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad included are Marcos Acuña, Guido Rodríguez, Gonzalo Montiel and Gerónimo Rulli.

In addition to this experienced core – which includes Giovani Lo Celso, who missed out on the 2022 campaign through injury – Scaloni also called up emerging talents, including Nicolás Paz, Franco Masantuono and River Plate’s young goalkeeper Santiago Beltrán.

The main absentees from 2022 are Ángel Di María, who has retired from international football, as well as Franco Armani and the injured Juan Foyth. 

Former squad members Ángel Correa and Paulo Dybala have also been left out.

Argentina will play their opening World Cup match on June 16 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, United States, against Algeria in Group J. 

The Albiceleste’s two other group-stage opponents are Austria and Jordan.

Argentina’s preliminary squad for the 2026 World Cup

Goalkeepers:
– Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
– Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille)
– Juan Musso (Atlético de Madrid)
– Walter Benítez (Crystal Palace)
– Facundo Cambeses (Racing Club)
– Santiago Beltrán (River Plate)

Defenders:
– Agustín Giay (Palmeiras)
– Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate)
– Nahuel Molina (Atlético de Madrid)
– Nicolás Capaldo (Hamburg)
– Kevin Mac Allister (Union Saint-Gilloise)
– Lucas Martínez Quarta (River Plate)
– Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth)
– Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United)
– Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
– Germán Pezzella (River Plate)
– Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille)
– Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
– Lautaro Di Lollo (Olympique de Marseille)
– Zaid Romero (Getafe)
– Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille)

Midfielders:
– Marcos Acuña (River Plate)
– Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon)
– Gabriel Rojas (Racing Club)
– Máximo Perrone (Como)
– Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors)
– Guido Rodríguez (Valencia)
– Aníbal Moreno (River Plate)
– Milton Delgado (Boca Juniors)
– Alan Varela (Porto)
– Ezequiel Fernández (Bayer Leverkusen)
– Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami)
– Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
– Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)
– Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
– Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis)
– Nicolás Domínguez (Nottingham Forest)
– Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa)
– Valentín Barco (Strasbourg)

Forwards:
– Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
– Nicolás Paz (Como)
– Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid)
– Thiago Almada (Atlético Madrid)
– Tomás Aranda (Boca Juniors)
– Nicolás González (Atlético Madrid)
– Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea)
– Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid)
– Matías Soulé (AS Roma)
– Claudio Echeverri (Girona)
– Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica)
– Santiago Castro (Bologna)
– Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)
– José Manuel López (Palmeiras)
– Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid)
– Mateo Pellegrino (Parma)