Lionel Messi has rejoined the Argentina national squad, arriving in the country for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador. This marks his return to international duty after recovering from a muscle injury.
The 31-man Argentina squad, announced on August 18, includes Messi and a mix of experienced players and promising young talents. Notable additions are Manchester City’s Claudio Echeverri, Porto midfielder Alan Varela, and Franco Mastantuono, who recently transferred to Real Madrid. Coach Lionel Scaloni has also called up Jose Manuel Lopez from Brazilian club Palmeiras for his first national team appearance.
Messi recently resumed training with Inter Miami following his muscle injury and played for the club last week, helping them secure a 3-1 victory against LA Galaxy. He had previously missed Argentina’s matches in June against Colombia due to a similar injury.
Argentina is scheduled to play Venezuela on September 4 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Five days later, they will travel to Guayaquil to face Ecuador. These matches are crucial as part of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The full Argentina squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers:
**Goalkeepers:** Emiliano Martinez, Walter Benitez, Geronimo Rulli
**Defenders:** Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Leonardo Balerdi, Juan Foyth, Nicolas Tagliafico, Marcos Acuna, Julio Soler, Facundo Medina
**Midfielders:** Alexis Mac Allister, Exequiel Palacios, Alan Varela, Leandro Paredes, Thiago Almada, Nicolas Paz, Rodrigo de Paul, Giovani Lo Celso, Valentin Carboni
**Forwards:** Claudio Echeverri, Franco Mastantuono, Giuliano Simeone, Angel Correa, Julián Alvarez, Nicolas Gonzalez, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Jose Manuel Lopez
