As requested by the World Football Federation (FIFA), both the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) submitted their preliminary squad lists on May 11th in preparation for the upcoming World Cup. Accordingly, the two most anticipated players, Lionel Messi and Neymar, are included.
Paulo Dybala is not included.
For the Argentine national team, the superstar currently playing for Inter Miami is likely to be participating in his last World Cup. Coach Lionel Scaloni continues to place his trust in the core squad that won the title in Qatar, while also accelerating the process of rejuvenating the team.
Lionel Messi continues to be the "trump card" in Argentina's journey to defend their world title (Photo: AP)
One of the most notable changes is the absence of Paulo Dybala from the preliminary squad, despite having made 40 appearances for the "Albiceleste". Additionally, former Atletico Madrid striker Angel Correa was also left out. This decision suggests Scaloni is prioritizing players with speed and tactical adaptability.
In midfield, besides Rodrigo De Paul and Alexis Mac Allister, who are familiar choices for coach Lionel Scaloni, Enzo Fernandez will face fierce competition from Thiago Almada for the third midfield spot. The Chelsea player played a crucial role in Argentina's 2022 World Cup victory, while Almada has made significant progress recently.
In attack, M10 and Julian Alvarez are almost certain to be in the starting lineup, while Lautaro Martinez is also a strong candidate for a starting place. This season with Inter Milan, the 1997-born striker has scored 17 goals in 28 Serie A matches.
Chelsea midfielder Alejandro Garnacho, who hasn't been called up to the Argentina national team since September 2024, also returns to the preliminary squad. In addition, Scaloni has included several young talents such as Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid) and Claudio Echeverri (Girona).
Young striker Estevao Willian misses out
On the Brazilian side, coach Carlo Ancelotti has faced immense pressure surrounding Neymar. Despite persistent health issues recently, the 34-year-old star has been included in the reserve squad. Since the Italian coach took over the Brazilian national team in May 2025, Neymar has regularly been included in the reserve squad but has never been retained in the final list.
Neymar's chances of participating in the 2026 World Cup are still not entirely certain (Photo: AP)
Conversely, young striker Estevao Willian will miss the biggest football event on the planet due to an injury sustained in Chelsea's 0-1 defeat to Manchester United last month. The Blues player was highly regarded by Ancelotti after his move to the Premier League.
With Estevao (along with Eder Militao and Rodrygo, who were already confirmed to be absent) unable to travel to North America this summer, opportunities have opened up for several domestic stars such as Flamengo's Pedro Guilherme.
In the midfield and on the wings, a host of experienced players such as Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Fabinho, Danilo Santos, and Lucas Paqueta are likely to push Andrey Santos (Chelsea) out of the starting lineup.
According to the plan, Argentina and Brazil will have to narrow down their lists to 26 players before May 30th.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/world-cup-2026-messi-va-neymar-deu-co-mat-196260512195321017.htm
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