Argentina are the reigning world champions, the reigning Copa América champions, and by some distance the most decorated squad in the field at World Cup 2026. Lionel Scaloni has named a 26-man roster that carries the attacking depth to win the tournament and the individual quality to do so in more than one way. But the squad announcement itself has been dominated by three stories that will follow this team throughout the group stage and beyond: the fitness of Lionel Messi, now 38 and carrying a hamstring concern into the most important three weeks of his career; the absence of Paulo Dybala and Ángel Di María, the last of the 2022 fantasy front line; and the inclusion of Giuliano Simeone, playing for his father's club, alongside five of his Atlético Madrid teammates.
How Argentina Got Here — CONMEBOL Dominance and Back-to-Back Titles
Argentina topped the CONMEBOL qualifying table from start to finish, finishing with 38 points from 18 matches: 12 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses, 31 goals scored and only 10 conceded. The gap between Argentina and the second-placed team (Ecuador, 29 points) was the largest margin between first and second in the final CONMEBOL standings of this cycle. They were the first nation from any confederation to secure their place at World Cup 2026.
The qualification campaign ran alongside two major tournament victories. Argentina won the 2024 Copa América in the United States, defeating Colombia in the final to claim their 16th CONMEBOL championship and confirm that the core built around Messi and Scaloni had not lost a step since Qatar 2022. That triumph also settled any lingering question about whether Argentina's World Cup victory had been a peak they could not sustain.
This squad arrives in North America, then, not merely as defending world champions but as the only team in the field to have won the World Cup and the Copa América in the same cycle. The expectations around them in Argentina are enormous. The rest of the field knows the standard they have to reach.
Key Players to Watch
The Squad: Messi's Injury Scare, Di María and Dybala Gone, and the Simeone Family Story
The goalkeeper position is as settled as it has been since Messi's era began. Emiliano Martínez, the 2022 World Cup's best goalkeeper and the man who saved three penalties in the final shootout against France, remains the undisputed number one. Gerónimo Rulli (Marseille) and Juan Musso (Atlético Madrid) provide experienced cover behind him.
The defensive group includes the spine that made Argentina so hard to score against in Qatar: Cristian Romero of Tottenham and Lisandro Martínez of Manchester United form the first-choice central partnership, while Nahuel Molina and Nicolás Tagliafico provide the full-back depth. Leonardo Balerdi and Facundo Medina (both Marseille) and Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica) give Scaloni options in a back four he rarely needs to reinvent.
The midfield is where this squad's identity lives. Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernández are the established axis, hardened by two years of tournament experience. Rodrigo De Paul, who moved to Inter Miami in the summer of 2025 to reunite with Messi at club level, offers the pressing intensity and box-to-box energy that Argentine midfields have relied on for four years. Leandro Paredes provides composure from Boca Juniors. Exequiel Palacios from Bayer Leverkusen and Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis add further depth. And Valentín Barco, the 21-year-old left-sided option from Strasbourg, represents the squad's most left-field midfield selection.
The forward line is one of the most discussed in the tournament and Scaloni's decisions at that end of the pitch have generated the most debate. Messi, Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez form the first-choice three. Behind them, Nico Paz earns his place on merit after a Serie A season that made him the midfielder of the year in Italy. Giuliano Simeone, son of Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone, travels as an Atletico forward at the same club his father has managed since 2011. Thiago Almada and Nicolás González complete the Atlético contingent in the forward positions, making six Colchonero players in total across the squad. Jose Manuel López of Palmeiras is the only player in the forward group without a European club.
The notable absences have been the subject of considerable discussion in Argentina. Paulo Dybala has not featured in a World Cup selection: his most recent Argentina appearance came in September 2024 and amounted to just 16 minutes across two qualifying matches. Scaloni's public explanation focused on continuity and where the team is heading beyond this tournament. Ángel Di María retired from international football after the 2024 Copa América, closing the most celebrated chapter of Argentine attacking play since the Riquelme era. Franco Mastantuono, the 18-year-old Real Madrid forward who is one of the most exciting teenagers in world football, is absent, with reports suggesting his movement patterns in the same attacking zones as Messi presented a tactical conflict Scaloni was not willing to manage at a World Cup.
Group J: Algeria, Austria and Jordan — a Path That Should Be Comfortable
World Cup History
One to Watch — Nico Paz
Prediction
Think you know how Argentina will do at World Cup 2026?
Pick every match from the group stage to the Final on July 19. Free to play — predictions lock June 11.
World Cup 2026 Bracket Predictor →Collect the WC 2026 Sticker Album
Track your Panini collection, mark duplicates, and find trade partners worldwide.
Open Sticker Album →