Superstar Lionel Messi has officially rejoined the Argentina national team squad, arriving back in his home country to commence their qualifying campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His highly anticipated return comes after a recent muscle injury that had briefly kept him out of action from club duties.
Messi recently made a successful return to training with Inter Miami, demonstrating his recovery and readiness for international duties. He played a pivotal role in the club’s victory last week, helping his team secure a 3-1 win against LA Galaxy in a crucial match. While currently fit, Messi had previously missed Argentina’s matches against Colombia in June due to a similar injury, making his current comeback particularly significant for the upcoming qualifiers.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni unveiled a 31-man squad on August 18, featuring a compelling blend of seasoned veterans and exciting young prospects eager to make their mark. Notable additions to the roster include Manchester City’s promising talent Claudio Echeverri, Porto midfielder Alan Varela, and Franco Mastantuono, who has recently completed a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid. Brazilian Palmeiras forward Jose Manuel Lopez has also earned his first call-up to the national team, highlighting Scaloni’s focus on developing future talent. While the full squad boasts formidable talent, Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho is not included in this selection, with Marcos Acuña featuring in the defensive lineup.
As the reigning FIFA World Cup champions, Argentina is now embarking on their quest to secure a spot at the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The CONMEBOL qualification campaign is notoriously challenging, and the Albiceleste will be looking to start strong.
Argentina is scheduled to play two crucial CONMEBOL qualifiers in the coming days. Their first match will be against Venezuela on September 4, to be held at the historic Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Five days later, the team will travel to Guayaquil to face Ecuador, completing their initial set of qualification fixtures.
Below is the full list of players summoned for Argentina’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches:
**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.
