Argentina announces squad for the 2026 World Cup.

VHO - The Argentine national team has officially announced its 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America. The reigning world champions are bringing to the 2026 World Cup the core team that won the title in Qatar, aiming to successfully defend their title, while also witnessing superstar Lionel Messi shine in his final appearance at the biggest football event on the planet.

Coach Lionel Scaloni retains 17 key players who won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Remaining steadfast to the royal framework

In the early hours of May 29th (Vietnam time), head coach Lionel Scaloni officially announced the 26-man Argentina squad.

Since taking over the team in 2018, the strategist has helped the Albiceleste win major titles including the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 Finals, and the 2022 World Cup.

For this year's tournament, Scaloni continues to place his trust in the same core squad, retaining 17 key players who won the world championship in Qatar.

In goal, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez will most likely remain the first choice. The defense will feature familiar names such as Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Tagliafico, and Lisandro Martinez.

The midfield still boasts top-class players like Rodrigo de Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Leandro Paredes. Up front is a sharp attack with the leading striker duo of Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.

Alongside their experienced core players, Argentina also makes room for several promising young talents such as Nico Paz, Giuliano Simeone, and Thiago Almada to strengthen the squad's depth.

This stable squad helps the defending champions continue to be considered a top contender for the gold trophy. Argentina's goal is to repeat a historical record: successfully defending their World Cup title, a milestone that no team has achieved in the past 64 years since Brazil's victories in 1958 and 1962.

A drastic purge

To prioritize a cohesive squad, coach Scaloni carried out a drastic overhaul, deciding not to bring many young stars and rising talents on the trip to North America.

The most regrettable case is that of striker Alejandro Garnacho. Despite having a less-than-spectacular season at Chelsea, Garnacho still made 43 appearances in all competitions and scored 8 goals. His loss of consistent form at the club has cost him his place in the national team.

Similarly, 18-year-old midfielder Franco Mastantuono, who played 35 matches and scored 3 goals for Real Madrid, has yet to make a significant impact.

Many other quality players were also cruelly left out. Midfielder Emiliano Buendia was excluded despite having his best season with Aston Villa, scoring 11 goals in all competitions and making a significant contribution to the English club's Europa League victory.

Two other young talents, Alan Varela (FC Porto) and Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica), also failed to make it to the final list.

Messi will be participating in his sixth World Cup.

The final "dance" and a historic record await Lionel Messi.

The center of attention on the list and all the fans' notice remains focused on leader Lionel Messi. For the superstar, this year's tournament holds immense significance as he turns 39. This is his sixth World Cup and also the final major tournament of his illustrious career.

If he officially plays in the upcoming tournament, Messi will set a record, becoming the first male player to participate in 6 World Cups, equaling the achievement of his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Although coach Scaloni admitted that his favorite player was not yet in his best physical condition due to injury, the strategist still affirmed his absolute belief in Messi's ability to recover in time for the opening day.

Messi is expected to lead a transitional Argentina team on a memorable journey to defend their title.

At the 2026 World Cup, the defending champions are in Group J along with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. Argentina will begin their group stage campaign with an opening match against Algeria at 8:00 AM on June 17th (Vietnam time), followed by matches against Austria at 0:00 AM on June 23rd and Jordan at 9:00 AM on June 28th.

Official list of 26 players for the Argentina national team at the 2026 World Cup.

- Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico).

- Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atletico), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Facundo Medina (Marseille).

- Midfielders: Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Nico Paz (Como), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Leandro Paredes (Boca), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Leverkusen), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico), Thiago Almada (Atletico).

- Strikers: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Julian Alvarez (Atletico), Lautaro Martinez (Inter), Flaco Lopez (Palmeiras).

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/argentina-cong-bo-doi-hinh-du-world-cup-2026-232537.html