Argentina World Cup 2026 Squad Review: Lionel Messi prepares for sixth appearance at the finals this summer
James Hilsum
Argentina head into the World Cup 2026 as reigning champions, aiming to win the trophy for a fourth time. Let's see how Lionel Scaloni's side are faring ahead of this summer's global showpiece...
Argentina's World Cup 2026 Squad at a Glance
Lionel Messi is always the first name that comes to my mind when talking about Argentina, as he prepares to embark on his sixth appearance at the finals. Argentina as a country are about to compete at their 19th finals, with only two players plying their trade on home soil. Scaloni has selected six Atletico Madrid players in his squad, with arguably the most notable being Julian Alvarez. There are also five Premier League players within their ranks, including Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero. There are many familiar faces from the squad which won the trophy in Qatar four years ago, but nine of those players have not been included here, while newcomers Valentin Barco and Nico Paz both get the chance to impress.
Notable Absentees from Argentina's World Cup 2026 Squad
One of the stand-out exclusions this summer was Real Madrid starlet Franco Mastantuono, while Villa's Europa League final goalscorer Emi Buendia also missed out on the flight to North America. Roma forward Paolo Dybala struggled to gain enough momentum after an injury-hit season, and has been denied the opportunity to play at his third finals.
Argentina's World Cup 2026 Goalkeepers
Argentina have one of the world's best goalkeepers in Martinez at their disposal, while the Villa shot-stopper will be supported by Atletico's Juan Musso and Geronimo Rulli of Marseille. Musso spent last season jostling with Jan Oblak for the No.1 jersey at his club, while Rulli made 39 appearances for the Ligue 1 side last season.
Argentina's World Cup 2026 Defenders
This is arguably where the chinks in Argentina’s armour lies. Cristian Romero's and Lisandro Martinez's respective injury records hardly inspire much confidence, while Nicolas Otamendi is hardly a spring chicken at the age of 38. Nicolas Tagliafico and Nahuel Molina are options at full-back, but the latter missed Atletico's final three league matches with a muscle problem and struggled to nail down a regular starting berth in Diego Simeone's side.
Argentina's World Cup 2026 Midfielders
Scaloni has an ideal mix of combativity and creativeness at the heart of the La Albiceleste engine room. Experienced enforcer Rodrigo de Paul can still be called upon for that guile, while the energetic Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez can be relied upon to keep things ticking over. Barco also provides that creative spark in a central defensive midfield role, while Leandro Paredes and Exequiel Palacios provide steadying influences.
Argentina's World Cup 2026 Forwards
Argentina has a forward line which most of the 48 nations will look upon with genuine envy. This is spearheaded by eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi, and complemented by Alvarez. Meanwhile, there's the mercurial Inter Milan frontman Lautaro Martinez, Atletico’s Giuliano Simeone, and Como starlet Paz at Scaloni's disposal. Thiago Almada is also expected to have a much bigger role this time round compared to four years ago, and is very important in making Argentina click going forward. More World Cup 2026 squad reviews by LiveScore
