Argentina, having already secured their spot in the main stage of the World Cup, will face Chile and Colombia next month in the qualifiers.
After missing two matches, Lionel Messi is back in the Argentina squad. Coach Lionel Scaloni has included the captain in the preliminary team for the upcoming qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.
Messi missed the March window of qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to injury. Despite his absence, the World Cup champions secured qualification with wins in both matches.
“Messi was named in the preliminary squad last time but picked up an injury while playing for Inter Miami, so Scaloni had to leave him out of the final list. This time, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is joined by forward Alejandro Garnacho and midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, who are also making their return.”
However, Paulo Dybala has not been included in the 28-man squad announced on Thursday. The 31-year-old forward also missed the March games due to injury.
Nicolás Domínguez returns to the national team after a long gap. The Nottingham Forest central midfielder last played for Argentina in 2021, totaling 11 appearances. Left-back Valentín Barco is also back; the 20-year-old played his only match for Argentina in March 2024.
In March, Argentina beat Uruguay 1-0 away before thrashing Brazil 4-1 at home. Before facing Brazil, Argentina had already confirmed their World Cup qualification thanks to Bolivia taking points off Uruguay.
Up next, the three-time world champions will play Chile away on June 5, followed by a home match against Colombia on June 10.
With 10 wins and 1 draw from 14 matches, Argentina sits at the top of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup with 31 points. Colombia is in sixth place with 20 points, while Chile is at the bottom of the table with 10 points.
The top six teams from the region will directly qualify for the World Cup.
Argentina’s Preliminary Squad
Goalkeepers
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille), Walter Benítez (PSV Eindhoven)
Defenders
Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina (Lens), Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon), Valentín Barco (Strasbourg)
Midfielders
Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Leandro Paredes (Roma), Nicolás Domínguez (Nottingham Forest), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo De Paul (Atlético Madrid), Thiago Almada (Lyon), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Nicolás Paz (Como)
Forwards
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Valentín Castellanos (Lazio), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Nicolás González (Juventus), Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid), Ángel Correa (Atlético Madrid)
