JAKARTA - The Argentina national team officially announced a provisional list of 55 players for the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Messi remains in coach Lionel Scaloni's selection squad, while there is no name for Paulo Dybala in the list.
The provisional list was released by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) through their official website on Monday (11/5).
Messi's presence is the main concern of the world football public. The Inter Miami captain has not officially confirmed that he will appear at the 2026 World Cup, but his call-up strengthens the indication that he will undergo the sixth and possibly last tournament of his career.
At the age of 38, Messi is still a central figure in the Argentina national team. However, Lionel Scaloni is said to be preparing a change in style of play so that the Albiceleste does not rely too much on the former Barcelona star.
Argentina is also still strengthened by a number of key players such as Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Nico Paz.
On the other hand, the absence of Paulo Dybala's name is a big highlight. The AS Roma striker has not been called up since 2024 and is now said to have started to be eliminated from Scaloni's long-term project with the national team.
Besides Messi, the interim Argentina squad is also marked by a number of young names and debutants. Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni and Chelsea player Alejandro Garnacho are among them.
Prestianni is in the spotlight because he has just received a six-match ban from UEFA for his racist actions against Vinicius Junior in the Champions League match against Real Madrid.
FIFA even extended the punishment globally so that the 20-year-old was sure to miss the first two matches of the World Cup group stage if he later entered the final squad.
However, Scaloni still included Prestianni in the provisional list. The Benfica player previously impressed when he led Argentina to the U-20 World Cup final last year.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho remains called up despite his performance with Chelsea this season being judged to be inconsistent. Scaloni is said to still like Garnacho's speed and explosive ability on the wing.
Argentina also gave their first call-up to Hamburg midfielder Nicolas Capaldo, Getafe defender Zaid Romero, and Parma striker Mateo Pellegrino.
As the defending champions of the 2022 World Cup, Argentina will come to the 2026 tournament with favorite status. The Albiceleste are in Group J with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan.
From a total of 55 players called up, Lionel Scaloni will only choose 26 names to enter the final squad for the 2026 World Cup held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico starting June 12.
Based on the official AFA website, the following are the 55 names of players who are included in the provisional list of the Argentina National Team:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid), Walter Benitez (Crystal Palace), Facundo Cambeses (Racing Club), Samtoago Beltran (River Plate).
Defenders: Agustin Giay (Palmieras), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Kevin Mac Allister (Unions Saint-Gilloise), Lucas Martinez (River Plate), Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), German Pezzella (River Plate), Lautaro Di Lollo (Boca Juniors), Zaid Romero (Getafe), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Marco Acuna (River Plate), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Gabriel Rojas (Racing Club).
Midfielders: Maximo Perrone (Como), Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Guido Rodriguez (Valencia), Anibal Moreno (River Plate), Milton Delgado (Boca Juniors), Alan Varela (Porto), Ezequiel Fernandez (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Alex Mac Allister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis).
Attackers: Nicolas Dominguez (Nottingham Forest), Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Paz (Como), Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Tomas Aranda (Boca Juniors), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Matis Soule (Roma), Claudio Echeverri (Girona), Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica), Santiago Castro (Bologna), Lautaro Martinez (Inter), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Mateo Pellegrino (Parma Calcio)
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