Argentina national football team head coach Lionel Scaloni has officially named his final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with football legend Lionel Messi included in the team set to defend the title.
Scaloni trimmed down the earlier 55 man provisional squad announcing the final selection ahead of the tournament which will be hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The squad includes several experienced stars who played a key role in helping Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Among the premier league based players selected are Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa , Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur, Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United , Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool and Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea .
Eight time Ballon d’Or winner Messi was also included in the final squad despite recent concerns over fitness and workload following a demanding season with his club and national team.
The 38 year old captain is expected to play a major leadership role as Argentina seek to successfully defend their world title.
However, several notable names failed to make the final squad including Walter Benitez, Marcos Senesi, Emiliano Buendia, Alejandro Garnacho and Nicolas Dominguez. Young talents Franco Mastantuono of Real MadridΒ and Gianluca Prestianni ofΒ Benfica were also left out after failing to survive the final selection process..
Since taking charge of Argentina, Scaloni has guided the team to major success including the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup and the 2025 Copa America title.
Argentina enter the tournament among the favourites to win the competition again due to the quality and experience within the squad.
Fans across Argentina celebrated the inclusion of Messi with many hoping the tournament could mark another historic chapter in the career of one of footballβs greatest players.
