Lionel Messi has returned to Argentina, joining the national squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers. His arrival follows a recent muscle injury. Argentina is set to face Venezuela and Ecuador in these crucial South American qualifying matches.
The 31-man squad, announced on August 18, features both seasoned players and promising young talents. Among the notable new call-ups are Manchester City’s Claudio Echeverri, Porto midfielder Alan Varela, Franco Mastantuono, who recently moved to Real Madrid, and Jose Manuel Lopez from Brazilian club Palmeiras.
Messi recently made his return to training with Inter Miami and played last week, where he helped his club secure a 3-1 victory against LA Galaxy. The 38-year-old captain had previously missed Argentina’s matches against Colombia in June due to a similar injury. Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho was notably absent from the squad list, while Marcos Acuna was included.
Argentina will host Venezuela on September 4 at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires. Five days later, they will travel to Guayaquil to face Ecuador. Argentina currently holds a reserved spot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The full squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers includes:
* **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
