Messi has been informed to participate in the World Cup.

According to journalist Gaston Edul, a source close to the Argentine national team, coach Scaloni has informed Messi about his inclusion in the 2026 World Cup squad, and has already determined 22 out of 26 official players.

Sixth time for Messi, "the final dance" with Neymar and Ronaldo.

Messi, captain and the heart of the Argentine national team, was the first player named by coach Scaloni in the squad for the 2026 World Cup, according to Gaston Edul. This will be the sixth World Cup appearance for the star, who will turn 39 on June 24th. Messi, along with Ronaldo (Portugal) and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico), are the three players who officially set the record for appearing in six consecutive World Cups.

Messi led his younger teammates to a dream start ahead of the 2026 World Cup, in Argentina's 5-0 victory over Zambia on April 1st.

Photo: Reuters

With Messi, Neymar, and Ronaldo, three familiar names, they will have their "final dance" in the most prestigious arena of world football. Neymar (34 years old) is participating in his fourth World Cup, but his fitness and physical condition are being questioned. Meanwhile, Messi is almost 39 years old, and Ronaldo is 41.

Journalist Gaston Edul also stated that, after the Brazilian and Portuguese national teams announced their World Cup squads, which included Neymar and Ronaldo respectively, the Argentinian team actually had its official list as well, but coach Scaloni couldn't announce it yet because many players were still competing in the final, decisive rounds of their respective European leagues this weekend.

"There is a long list of Argentinian players affected by injuries. Coach Scaloni has sent his assistants across Europe to scout, and they have also announced that they have reserved places for around 35 players at various clubs."

Therefore, the plan is for coach Scaloni to make a decision on the final World Cup squad this week. Currently, 22 out of 26 players have been officially selected, and of course, Messi must be on the list, and he was informed by the coaching staff earlier this week," Gaston Edul shared.

Is the Argentina team under pressure due to injuries?

According to Gaston Edul, the player being closely monitored by the Argentina national team's coaching staff is midfielder Nico Paz, who his club Como (Italy) has announced they will use in the crucial match against US Cremonese at 1:45 AM on May 25th, to qualify for the Champions League.

Messi and coach Scaloni discussed the Argentina national team's situation for the 2026 World Cup during a training camp in March, following FIFA Days.

Photo: Reuters

Nico Paz is one of five key players for the Argentine national team who are currently injured but are still being forced to play by their clubs for the sake of qualifying for European competition. While center-back Cristian Romero (Tottenham) is recovering, striker Nico Gonzalez is also in the final stages of muscle recovery. The same applies to defender Nahuel Molina. Gonzalo Montiel is still racing against time to be fit before June 16th, when the Argentine team plays its first group stage match, Gaston Edul added.

"The positions most affected by fitness and injuries are in the defense. It's likely that Coach Scaloni will have to decide how many defenders to include in the squad: possibly 8 or 9. This number will change depending on the players' fitness levels. Currently, the only player ruled out due to fitness issues is Juan Foyth (Achilles tendon injury) from a few weeks ago," Gaston Edul assessed.

The Argentina national team will gather on May 26th at the Ezeiza Training Center (in Buenos Aires). However, it's possible that stars like Messi and those from Europe may arrive later, heading directly to Kansas City on June 1st to officially join the training camp. Messi also played for Inter Miami against Philadelphia Union on May 25th, alongside De Paul.

Argentina will play two warm-up matches before the 2026 World Cup, against Honduras on June 7th and Iceland on June 10th. After that, they will play their opening match in Group J against Algeria at 8:00 AM on June 17th, against Austria at 0:00 AM on June 23rd, and against Jordan at 9:00 AM on June 28th (all in Vietnam time).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/messi-da-duoc-thong-bao-du-world-cup-185260520103331441.htm