Lionel Messi has returned to Argentina following a muscle injury, ready to join the squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Argentina is set to face Venezuela and Ecuador in their South American qualifying campaign.
The 31-man Argentine squad, announced on August 18, features Messi alongside a mix of established stars and promising young talents. Among the new call-ups are Manchester City’s Claudio Echeverri, Porto midfielder Alan Varela, Franco Mastantuono (who recently transferred to Real Madrid), and Jose Manuel Lopez from Brazilian club Palmeiras, all making their first national team appearances under coach Lionel Scaloni.
Messi recently resumed training with Inter Miami after his injury and played for the club last week in the US, contributing to a 3-1 victory over LA Galaxy. This follows a period where the 38-year-old captain was sidelined from Argentina’s matches against Colombia due to a similar injury.
In another squad update, Alejandro Garnacho, who had reportedly missed training, has been replaced by Marcos Acuna in the national selection.
Argentina’s schedule includes a match against Venezuela at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on September 4. Five days later, they will travel to Guayaquil to play Ecuador. Argentina is competing in the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Here is the full list of Argentine players called up for the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Walter Benitez, Geronimo Rulli
Defenders: Pressian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Leonardo Balerdi, Juan Foyth, Nicolas Tagliaf, Marcos Acuna, Julio Soler, Facundo Medina
Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister, Exequiel Palacios, Alan Varela, Landroe 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
