Messi Named for Sixth World Cup as Argentina Reveal 2026 Squad
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has been selected for his sixth FIFA World Cup after being included in the country’s 26-man squad for the 2026 tournament.
The 39-year-old forward, who led Argentina to World Cup success in Qatar in 2022, was named in coach Lionel Scaloni’s squad on Thursday. Argentina beat France on penalties in the final to win their third world title.
Messi, who holds the record for the most World Cup appearances with 26 matches, will now join Cristiano Ronaldo as the only male players to feature in six World Cups.
The squad includes several key players from Europe’s top leagues, as Argentina aim to defend their title at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Goalkeepers
Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Defenders
Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders
Leandro Paredes (River Plate), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami CF), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Ezequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)
Forwards
Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Nico Paz (Como), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
Argentina will begin their Group J campaign against Algeria in Kansas City on 17 June, before facing Austria and Jordan in Dallas.
Messi recently missed part of an Inter Miami match due to muscle fatigue but is expected to be fit for the tournament.
Notable absentees include Emi Buendia, Paolo Dybala and Franco Mastantuono, while Gianluca Prestianni also misses out after a FIFA suspension ruling.
