Messi, Captain of Argentina, Included in the Sixth World Cup Roster

Argentina announced its 26-player roster for the World Cup on Thursday; a competition that will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. In this list,

Lionel Messi, as the captain of the national team, will lead the defending champions in this tournament.

Several players were in an uncertain situation due to injuries of varying severity, just before FIFA's June 1 deadline for finalizing World Cup team rosters. One of them is Lionel Messi himself, who is suffering from muscle fatigue and a hamstring strain in his left leg; an issue that prevented him from finishing the match for Inter Miami last Sunday.

The club has officially stated that his recovery time depends on his "clinical and functional progress." Messi is set to experience his sixth World Cup; he has previously participated in the World Cups of 2006 in Germany, 2010 in South Africa, 2014 in Brazil, 2018 in Russia, and 2022 in Qatar.

Alongside him, players such as Emiliano Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández, Julián Álvarez, and Lautaro Martínez are among the 17 players who have been recalled from the 2022 World Cup champion squad in Qatar.

Lionel Scaloni, the national team coach, has retained the core of the world champion team; although Ángel Di María, the experienced winger, has not been included in the roster after retiring from international football following the 2024 Copa América.

Giovani Lo Celso, a midfielder who missed the 2022 World Cup due to injury, has returned to the national team after being on the list in 2018 (without playing).

Argentina has also invited several young players for the future generation of the team; including Valentín Barco, Nicolás Paz, and Julián Simeone. Additionally, José Manuel López and Thiago Almada will be participating in the World Cup for the first time.

According to local media reports, Marcos Acuña, the left-back who was part of the 2022 champion team, has been dropped from the roster due to concerns about his physical fitness.

Argentina will play its first match in Group J against Algeria on June 16, followed by matches against Jordan and Austria.

Player Roster:

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez, Gerónimo Rulli, Juan Musso.

Defenders: Leonardo Balerdi, Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolás Tagliafico, Lisandro Martínez, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Nahuel Molina.

Midfielders: Lucas Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Valentín Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández.

Forwards: Julián Álvarez, Lionel Messi, Nicolás González, Thiago Almada, Julián Simeone, Nicolás Paz, José Manuel López, Lautaro Martínez.

Source: ARN News