MIAMI — While international media outlets widely expected Scaloni to withhold the roster until Friday, May 29, the Argentine tactician caught the football world by surprise, releasing the official list a day early on Thursday across the Argentine Football Association’s social media channels.
The squad is built around the core that won in Qatar — and around one name above all others.
Lionel Messi at 38 years old headlines the squad in his record-breaking sixth tournament appearance. He has more caps (198) and more goals (116) for Argentina than any player in the nation’s history. He needs three goals to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. He is, by any measure, the greatest footballer who has ever lived — and this is almost certainly the last time he will play in a World Cup.
The Official Squad
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Gerónimo Rulli (Ajax), Walter Benítez (PSG).
Defenders: Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon), Valentín Barco (Chelsea), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Zaid Romero (Strasbourg).
Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Exequiel Palacios (Leverkusen), Alan Varela (Porto), Nico Paz (Como), Thiago Almada (Atlético Madrid).
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid), Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea), Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid), Matías Soulé (Roma), Claudio Echeverri (Girona).
The Surprise: Mastantuono Is Out
The biggest surprise is the omission of Franco Mastantuono, who was unable to earn a spot in an attack filled with established stars and proven international performers.
Mastantuono, 17, joined Real Madrid last summer after a breakout season at River Plate and had been one of the most talked-about inclusions in the preliminary 55-man list. His omission reflects a judgment that Argentina’s attacking options — Messi, Lautaro, Álvarez, Garnacho, Simeone, Soulé, Echeverri — are sufficiently deep without adding a 17-year-old making his World Cup debut. The logic is defensible. The talent being left on the bench at home is extraordinary.
Marcos Acuña, Germán Pezzella, Alejandro Gómez, Guido Rodríguez, Ángel Correa, and Paulo Dybala have all been left off the flight to North America, missing out on the chance to defend their global crown.
The omission of Dybala in particular generated significant reaction in Argentina — the Roma forward has been one of the most creative players in Serie A this season and has argued publicly for inclusion.
The Messi Injury Question
Scaloni confirmed that at least six players are facing a race against time to be fit for the World Cup. Messi got injured in a recent Inter Miami club match, raising issues for the national side.
The Messi injury — described by Inter Miami as a muscular issue — is the single most consequential fitness question in the tournament. Argentina’s tactical system, their attack’s movement, their set-piece threat, and the psychological weight their squad carries all depend on him being available. Scaloni confirmed his inclusion on the squad despite the injury and expressed confidence he would be fit for the June 16 opener against Algeria.
Notable Inclusions
Among the notable inclusions is Como standout Nico Paz, who has thrived in Serie A and led Cesc Fàbregas’s side to Champions League qualification for the first time ever. Valentín Barco, who will join Chelsea from sister club Strasbourg, is another player who will make his World Cup debut this summer.
Nico Paz’s inclusion is the most analytically interesting selection in the squad. The 20-year-old midfielder — son of former Real Madrid player Pablo Paz — has spent the season at Como becoming one of the most technically complete young midfielders in Italian football. His inclusion over Mastantuono signals Scaloni’s preference for midfield depth and technical quality over additional attacking firepower.
Claudio Echeverri, 19, at Girona on loan from Manchester City, completes a forward line that spans from Messi at 38 to Echeverri at 19 — a 19-year gap between the oldest and youngest attacking options that captures exactly where Argentina is in its generational cycle.
Prospects
Argentina will play in Group J. The world champions open their World Cup on June 16 in Kansas City, Missouri, where they will take on Algeria. Six days later, they face Austria in Arlington, Texas.
For their final group stage match, they will take on debutants Jordan on June 27 in the same stadium.
The group is favorable — Algeria, Austria, and Jordan represent manageable first-round opposition for a squad of this quality. The real tournament begins in the round of 16, where Argentina’s draw will determine whether their path to the final runs through the European bracket or the South American one.
No nation has won consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Now La Scaloneta dreams of replicating that feat.
Whether Messi’s body holds — whether the muscular issue resolves in time for Kansas City, whether he can carry the load across seven matches in 40 days at 38 years old — is the question that Argentina, and most of the football world, will spend the next 13 days answering.
