Lionel Messi headlines the 26-man Argentina squad named by coach Lionel Scaloni for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America, as the defending champions bid to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully retain the title. The squad was announced on 29 May from Buenos Aires.

Messi's Fitness a Concern

The announcement carries a significant caveat: Messi, poised to appear in a record-equalling sixth World Cup, sustained physical discomfort during his most recent outing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS). Scaloni confirmed he was monitoring the situation closely.

'We were watching (Messi's) game back at the training complex when we realized he had asked to be substituted — that he wasn't feeling right,' Scaloni said. He added: 'The initial reports aren't too bad. Naturally, we would have preferred that nothing had happened to him at all. Now, we just have to wait and see how things develop. I imagine he'll undergo further tests to confirm whether the situation is truly as they say.'

Key Inclusions and Notable Omissions

Messi leads an attack alongside Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez and Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez. Scaloni has also handed opportunities to players absent from the Qatar 2022 triumph, including winger Valentin Barco of Racing Strasbourg, who impressed in Europe, Palmeiras centre-forward Jose Manuel Lopez, and Como midfielder Nico Paz, highly regarded within the coaching setup.

Despite their inclusion, two injury concerns shadow the squad. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa fractured a finger during last week's UEFA Europa League final, while defender Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur is managing a knee problem. Both have been confirmed in the group.

Nine members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad did not make the cut, including Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala, Marcos Acuna, and Alejandro Gomez. Highly-touted Real Madrid teenager Franco Mastantuono also missed out. In all, 17 players from the Qatar-winning squad have been retained.

Group Stage Schedule

Argentina open their World Cup campaign against Algeria on 16 June, before facing Austria and Jordan in Group J. The three-time World Cup champions will prepare with warm-up friendlies against Honduras on 6 June and Iceland on 9 June.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid)

Defenders: Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyonnais), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid)

Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Valentin Barco (Racing Strasbourg), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)

Forwards: Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nico Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Nico Paz (Como), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)

With the squad set, all eyes now turn to Messi's fitness tests and whether Argentina can sustain the form that made them world champions — and whether history can be rewritten after six decades of failed defences.