Lionel Messi has returned to Argentina after recovering from a muscle injury, ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador. The 31-man Argentina squad, announced on August 18, includes Messi and many new, young talents who have emerged recently.
Notable players in the squad include Claudio Echeverri of Manchester City, Alan Varela from Porto, and Franco Mastantuono, who recently joined Real Madrid. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni also called up Jose Manuel Lopez from Brazilian club Palmeiras for his first national team appearance.
Messi recently returned to training with Inter Miami following his muscle injury and played for the club in the US last week, helping his team secure a 3-1 victory over LA Galaxy. In June, the 38-year-old captain was not included in the Argentina squad for matches against Colombia due to a similar injury.
Argentina will face Venezuela on September 4 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, before traveling to Guayaquil to play Ecuador five days later. Argentina is competing for a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The full Argentina squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers is:
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
Strikers: Claudio Echeverri, Franco Mastantuono, Giuliano Simeone, Angel Correa, Julián Alvarez, Nicolas Gonzalez, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Jose Manuel Lopez.
