JAKARTA – Lionel Messi will lead defending champions Argentina at their sixth World Cup this summer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The 38-year-old was selected in a squad of 26 players chosen by coach Lionel Scaloni on Thursday, May 28, 2026, local time.
Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be the first players to play in six World Cups.
Messi’s participation in the 2026 World Cup was initially threatened last week after he left the field during an MLS (Major League Soccer) match between Inter Miami and Philadelphia Union due to an injury.
Inter Miami later confirmed that Messi suffered a muscle fatigue in his left hamstring after an initial diagnosis showed overload. The time frame for his return to the field will now depend on his progress from day to day.
“The initial update is not entirely bad. Now, we have to wait to see how it progresses, while waiting for the results of further tests to see if it confirms the initial medical report.”
“We all hope that Messi can join the squad in full fitness, but the reality is not so. Not only him, many other players have not fully recovered from injuries.”
“Our main priority now is their rehabilitation to ensure they reach the 2026 World Cup in peak condition,” Scaloni said in an interview with DSports earlier this week.
Argentina will face Algeria, Austria, and Jordan in the group stage of the tournament, which will begin on June 16, 2026 in Kansas City. The Tango team will also participate in friendly matches against Honduras and Iceland in preparation for the 2026 World Cup.
Messi is one of 17 players from the 2022 World Cup called up by Scaloni for the tournament this summer, where Argentina will try to become the first back-to-back champions since Brazil in 1962.
Among those who were called back were Messi’s Inter Miami teammates, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), and Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid).
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who suffered a broken fifth finger of his right hand during last week’s Europa League final in which Aston Villa beat Freiburg, has also been confirmed as part of the list.
Scaloni also included defender Cristian Romero – who recovered from a collateral ligament injury in his right knee he suffered in mid-April 2026 while playing for Tottenham Hotspur – and fullbacks Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel, who scored the decisive penalty in the 2002 World Cup penalty shootout against France, both of whom are recovering from muscle injuries.
Not included in Scaloni’s squad were Real Madrid teenager Franco Mastantuono, Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), and Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa).
Argentina’s squad at the 2026 World Cup
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid)
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Facundo Medina (Marseille)
Midfielders: Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg)
Attackers: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Lyon), Nico Paz (Como)
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lionel messi
argentina
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piala dunia 2026
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cristiano ronaldo
