Lionel Scaloni has named his 26-man Argentina squad for the 2026 World Cup, and the headline writes itself in five letters: MESSI. Lionel Messi will become the first player ever to feature in six different World Cups, leading the defending champions into a tournament across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
At 38, this is almost certainly Messi’s last dance. He arrives carrying records that may never be touched, including the most caps (198) and most goals (116) in Argentina’s history. But he’s also chasing one more: he sits three goals shy of the all-time World Cup goal record (Germany’s Miroslav Klose, with 16). An injury scare while playing for Inter Miami briefly raised alarms, but the issue isn’t considered serious and he’s expected to be fit to captain the side.
Argentina’s Full Squad
- Goalkeepers
- Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
- Gerónimo Rulli (Marseille)
- Juan Musso (Atlético Madrid)
- Defenders
- Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille)
- Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon)
- Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate)
- Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United)
- Cristian Romero (Tottenham)
- Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
- Facundo Medina (Marseille)
- Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid)
- Midfielders
- Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors)
- Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami)
- Valentín Barco (Strasbourg)
- Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis)
- Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)
- Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
- Forwards
- Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid)
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
- Nicolás González (Atlético Madrid)
- Thiago Almada (Atlético Madrid)
- Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid)
- Nico Paz (Como)
- José Manuel López (Palmeiras)
- Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)
Old Guard, New Blood
Scaloni has kept the spine of the team that lifted the trophy in Qatar, blending experience with emerging talent such as Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister, Álvarez and Giuliano Simeone. The fresh faces stand out: Como’s Nico Paz, who thrived in Serie A and helped Cesc Fàbregas’s side reach the Champions League for the first time, and Valentín Barco, set for a move to Chelsea, are both in line for World Cup debuts.
Who Missed Out
There were no earthquakes, but a couple of names sting. Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendía are the most eye-catching absentees. Veteran defender Marcos Acuña, a 2022 World Cup winner, also failed to make the cut.
The Mission
No nation has won consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 — that’s the history “La Scaloneta” is chasing. Argentina open against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium on June 16, then face Austria and Jordan at AT&T Stadium in Group J, where they’re heavy favorites to advance. The real test comes in the knockouts.
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