Argentina at World Cup 2026: Lionel Messi and 10 Premier League stars feature in Lionel Scaloni's preliminary squad

Argentina caput manager Lionel Scaloni has included 10 Premier League players and Lionel Messi successful his 55-man preliminary squad for the 2026 World Cup.

La Albiceleste volition question to North America with hopes of retaining the trophy they won successful December 2022.

Messi starred successful Argentina's triumphant run successful Qatar, but there is immoderate doubt arsenic to whether helium volition diagnostic successful his country's trophy defence.

Scaloni's provisional squad suggests that Messi plans to play successful the 2026 tournament, with the Inter Miami skipper 1 of 55 players connected the longlist.

Messi is conscionable 2 games distant from reaching 200 planetary appearances, thing that has lone antecedently been achieved successful men's planetary shot by Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa and the Argentine's aged rival, Portugal prima Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Which Premier League players diagnostic successful Argentina's provisional squad?

Scaloni's squad besides features 10 players who are presently plying their commercialized successful the Premier League.

Chelsea duo Enzo Fernandez and Alejandro Garnacho person made the longlist, though the second whitethorn person his enactment chopped retired to marque the last squad, fixed the information that helium has not played for his state since November 2024.

Like Chelsea, Aston Villa person 2 players connected the database successful goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and attacker Emiliano Buendia.

There are besides spots for Crystal Palace's Walter Benitez, Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez, Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi, Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero, Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister and Nottingham Forest's Nicolas Dominguez.

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, are the best-represented squad connected Scaloni's provisional database with six players: Juan Musso, Nahuel Molina, Thiago Almada, Nicolas Gonzalez, Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez.

Who has missed retired connected Argentina's 55-man longlist?

Paulo Dybala was portion of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad, but helium volition not beryllium portion of the radical astatine the 2026 tournament.

While helium is simply a high-profile name, Dybala's omission is nary existent astonishment owed to his wounded struggles and his deficiency of engagement successful caller camps.

In fact, the 32-year-old has not played for his state since featuring arsenic a substitute successful a World Cup qualifier against Colombia successful September 2024. 

There is besides nary Angel Di Maria, who called clip connected his planetary vocation pursuing Argentina's triumphant 2024 Copa America campaign. 

Argentina's 55-man preliminary World Cup squad successful full:

Goalkeepers: Santiago Beltran (River Plate), Walter Benitez (Crystal Palace), Facundo Cambeses (Racing Club), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille)

Defenders: Marco Acuna (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Lautaro Di Lollo (Boca Juniors), Agustin Giay (Palmieras), Kevin Mac Allister (Union Saint-Gilloise), Lucas Martinez (River Plate), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), German Pezzella (River Plate), Gabriel Rojas (Racing Club), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Zaid Romero (Getafe), Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon)

Midfielders: Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa), Milton Delgado (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami), Nicolas Dominguez (Nottingham Forest), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Ezequiel Fernandez (Bayer Leverkusen), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Alex Mac Allister (Liverpool), Anibal Moreno (River Plate), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Maximo Perrone (Como), Guido Rodriguez (Valencia), Alan Varela (Porto)

Forwards: Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Tomas Aranda (Boca Juniors), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Santiago Castro (Bologna), Claudio Echeverri (Girona), Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid), Lautaro Martinez (Inter), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Paz (Como), Mateo Pellegrino (Parma Calcio), Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Matis Soule (Roma)