Lionel Messi To Grace A Sixth World Cup Stage As Argentina Name Their Squad

Lionel Messi will make history this summer when he leads defending champions Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, competing in his sixth edition of the tournament at the age of 38.

The Argentine captain, who guided his nation to a third World Cup title in Qatar in 2022 with a penalty shootout victory over France, was included in coach Lionel Scaloni's 26-man squad announced on Thursday.

In doing so, Messi will join Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, as the only male players in history to appear at six World Cup tournaments. Messi currently holds the record for the most World Cup appearances by any player, with 26 matches to his name.

Scaloni has largely relied on the spine of his title-winning side, with 17 players from the Qatar squad retained.

Among them are goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who was awarded the Golden Glove in 2022, defenders Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United and Tottenham's Cristian Romero, midfielders Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool and Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, and forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.

Mac Allister, Fernandez and three others make up five British-based players in the squad.

Midfielder Giovani Lo Celso has earned his recall after missing the 2022 tournament through injury. He was previously part of Argentina's 2018 squad in Russia, though he did not feature in any matches.

One notable absentee is veteran winger Angel Di Maria, who retired from international football following the 2024 Copa America and was therefore not considered for selection.

Local media reports also indicate that left back Marcos Acuna, a member of the 2022 title-winning squad, has missed out due to fitness concerns.

Scaloni has also used the opportunity to blood the next generation, including Valentin Barco, Nicolas Paz and Giuliano Simeone, while Jose Manuel Lopez and Thiago Almada are set to make their World Cup debuts.

There had been some concern over Messi's fitness after he was substituted during Inter Miami's most recent Major League Soccer fixture on Monday, but the club moved quickly to clarify that he had not sustained an injury and was merely experiencing muscle fatigue in his left hamstring.

Argentina will begin their Group J campaign against Algeria on June 16, before taking on Jordan and Austria. The tournament is to be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Argentina 2026 FIFA World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, ​Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso.

Defenders: Leonardo Balerdi, Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolas ​Tagliafico, Lisandro ⁠Martinez, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Nahuel Molina.

Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Valentin Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo ⁠Fernandez.

Forwards: ​Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi, Nicolas Gonzalez, Thiago ​Almada, Giuliano Simeone, Nicolas Paz, Jose Manuel Lopez, Lautaro Martinez.