The Argentine national team has released its preliminary squad list for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As the reigning champions after winning the previous edition in Qatar, Argentina will compete in the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Having topped the South American qualifiers and ranking third in the FIFA standings, they are considered strong favorites. On the 11th, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced a preliminary roster of 55 players.
Captain Lionel Messi, who had not explicitly confirmed his participation in the tournament, has been included in the preliminary squad submitted to FIFA. Other key players such as Emiliano Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, and Julián Álvarez are also on the list. Cristian Romero, who is currently recovering from an injury, has also been named. However, Paulo Dybala has been left out.
Argentina, placed in Group J, will face Algeria in their opening match on the 16th. They will then play Austria on the 22nd and Jordan on the 27th.
**Argentina’s Preliminary World Cup Squad**
**Goalkeepers:**
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
Gerónimo Rulli (Marseille)
Juan Musso (Atlético Madrid)
Walter Benítez (Crystal Palace)
Facundo Cambeses (Racing Club)
Santiago Beltrán (River Plate)
**Defenders:**
Agustín Giay (Palmeiras)
Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate)
Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid)
Nicolás Capaldo (Hamburger SV)
Kevin Mac Allister (Union Saint-Gilloise)
Lucas Martínez Quarta (River Plate)
Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth)
Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United)
Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
Germán Pezzella (River Plate)
Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille)
Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
Lautaro Di Giorgio (Boca Juniors)
Zaid Romero (Getafe)
Facundo Medina (Marseille)
Marcos Acuña (River Plate)
Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon)
Gabriel Rojas (Racing Club)
**Midfielders:**
Máximo Perrone (Como)
Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors)
Guido Rodríguez (Valencia)
Aníbal Moreno (River Plate)
Milton Delgado (Boca Juniors)
Alan Varela (Porto)
Ezequiel Fernández (Leverkusen)
Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami)
Exequiel Palacios (Leverkusen)
Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)
Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
Giovani Lo Celso (Betis)
Nicolás Domínguez (Nottingham Forest)
Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa)
Valentín Barco (Strasbourg)
**Forwards:**
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
Nicolás Paz (Como)
Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid)
Thiago Almada (Atlético Madrid)
Tomás Aranda (Boca Juniors)
Nicolás González (Atlético Madrid)
Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea)
Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid)
Matías Soulé (Roma)
Claudio Echeverri (Girona)
Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica)
Santiago Castro (Bologna)
Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)
José Manuel López (Palmeiras)
Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid)
Mateo Pellegrino (Parma)