The AFA (Argentine Football Association) released this Monday (11) the pre-list of squads for the 2026 World Cup with right-back Agustín Giay and striker Flaco López, both from Palmeiras, as well as star Lionel Messi.
Unsurprisingly, ‘Albiceleste’ coach Lionel Scaloni included 55 players, 26 of which will be announced in the final squad, scheduled for May 30th.
Also appearing on the list are world champions Dibu Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Exequiel Palacios, Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martínez and Julían Álvarez.
The main absences are Ángel Di María and Franco Armani, who retired from the national team, and Juan Foyth, injured. Ángel Correa and Paulo Dybala were also not called up.
The list also includes Gianluca Prestianni, from Benfica. Punished for insulting Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior during a Champions League duel, Prestianni will miss the team’s first two games at the World Cup, if he is on Scaloni’s final list.
Argentina debuts in the World Cup on June 16th against Algeria, in Kansas City, in Group J, which also includes Austria and Jordan.
Argentina squad list for the 2026 World Cup
Goalkeepers
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa/ING)
Gerônimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille/FRA)
Juan Musso (Atlético de Madrid/ESP)
Walter Benítez (Crystal Palace/ING)
Facundo Cambeses (Racing/ARG)
Santiago Beltrán (River Plate/ARG)
Defenders
Agustín Giay (Palmeiras/BRA)
Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate/ARG)
Nahuel Molina (Atlético de Madrid/ESP)
Nicolás Capaldo (Hamburg/ALE)
Kevin MacAllister (Union Saint Gilloise/BEL)
Lucas Martínez Quarta (River Plate/ARG)
Marcos Senesi (Bounemounth/ING)
Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United/ING)
Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica/POR)
Germán Pezzela (River Plate/ARG)
Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marselha/FRA)
Cristian Romero (Tottenhman/ING)
Lautaro Di Lollo (Olympique de Marselha/FRA)
Zaid Romero (Getafe/ESP)
Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille/FRA)
Midfielders
Marcos Acuña (River Plate/ARG)
Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon/FRA)
Gabriel Rojas (Racing/ARG)
Maximo Perrone (Como/ITA)
Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors/ARG)
Guido Rodríguez (Valencia/ESP)
Aníbal Moreno (River Plate/ARG)
Milton Delgado (Boca Juniors/ARG)
Alan Varela (Porto/POR)
Ezequiel Fernández (Bayer Leverkusen/ALE)
Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami/USA)
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen/ALE)
Enzo Fernández (Chelsea/ING)
Alexis MacAllister (Liverpool/ING)
Giovani Lo Celso (Betis/ESP)
Nicolás Domínguez (Nottingham Forest/ING)
Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa/ING)
Valentin Barco (Strasbourg/FRA)
Attackers
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/EUA)
Nicolás Paz (Como/ITA)
Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid/ESP)
Thiago Almada (Atlético de Madrid/ESP)
Tomás Aranda (Boca Juniors/ARG)
Nicolás González (Atlético de Madrid/ESP)
Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea/ING)
Giuliano Simeone (Atlético de Madrid/ESP)
Matías Soulé (Rome/ITA)
Claudio Echeverri (Girona/ESP)
Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica/POR)
Santiago Castro (Bologna/ITA)
Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan/ITA)
Flaco López (Palmeiras/BRA)
Julián Álvarez (Atlético de Madrid/ESP)
Mateo Pellegrino (Parma/ITA)
