Will Messi play? Argentina answer fan queries in 55-man World Cup squad

Argentina skipper is named successful preliminary squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 but has not confirmed his participation.

Lionel Messi’s information successful the FIFA World Cup has been the taxable of instrumentality queries for the past fewer months, but his inclusion successful Argentina’s preliminary squad for the tourney whitethorn person enactment those concerns to rest.

The planetary shot superstar was among the 55 players named by Lionel Scaloni successful his archetypal World Cup roster connected Monday, but the 38-year-old has yet to afloat corroborate his availability arsenic Argentina look to support their title.

Messi was among the 16 forwards listed by the Argentinian caput coach, who besides named Gianluca Prestianni contempt a six-match ban imposed connected the subordinate that could spot him miss his team’s archetypal 2 radical games.

The Inter Miami and Argentina skipper has repeatedly hinted that his clip connected the planetary signifier whitethorn beryllium coming to an end.

“I’m conscious that I’m playing my last matches, and I’m enjoying them to the maximum,” Messi said aft an Inter Miami crippled successful June. “I’m definite that you’re watching my last moments successful football’s elite.”

However, helium has neither committed nor chopped ties with La Albiceleste successful the run-up to the monthlong tournament, which begins connected June 11.

Messi was portion of the squad arsenic Argentina began the qualification process for the World Cup 2026, but injuries kept the shot large retired of enactment successful their past fewer matches.

It prompted Scaloni to accidental determination was “plenty of time” to marque a telephone connected Messi’s aboriginal successful planetary football, but the World Cup-winning manager whitethorn person confirmed his and the player’s determination with his squad announcement.

Messi’s teammates person been precise wide astir their wishes.

“With Messi, we mightiness person scored 2 oregon 3 much goals,” Julian Alvarez said aft Argentina’s 4-1 triumph implicit Brazil successful the South American qualifiers past year.

Rodrigo de Paul echoed Messi’s fans successful Argentina and astir the satellite erstwhile helium said: “The champion of our teams is ever erstwhile the fig 10 is playing due to the fact that helium is the top of each time.”

Messi scored 7 goals for Argentina arsenic they lifted the World Cup trophy for the archetypal clip successful 36 years astatine the Qatar 2022 tournament.

The skipper scored his team’s archetypal extremity successful regularisation clip successful the last against France arsenic good arsenic their archetypal punishment aft the crippled ended successful a 3-3 gully aft other time.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Prestianni is acceptable to miss astatine slightest 2 of Argentina’s World Cup fixtures arsenic helium serves a six-match prohibition for utilizing homophobic slurs during a UEFA Champions League crippled successful February. ‌‌

Playing for Benfica of Portugal, Prestianni was accused of hurling verbal insults towards Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. He denied utilizing abusive connection and said connected societal media that helium was “misunderstood”.

The archetypal punishment was handed retired by UEFA, Europe’s shot governing body, earlier FIFA extended the punishment to each worldwide sanctioned matches.

Prestianni made his debut for Argentina’s nationalist squad successful November and has been portion of their squad successful caller months.

The World Cup – cohosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States – volition reason connected July 19.

Argentina unfastened their rubric defence against Algeria connected June 16 successful Kansas City, Missouri, earlier facing Austria connected June 22 successful Dallas, Texas, and Jordan astatine the aforesaid venue connected June 27.

Can you place each 48 teams participating successful the FIFA World Cup 2026? Take our quiz here.

[Al Jazeera]