Argentina announces World Cup roster: Messi leads, two newcomers are selected for the first time

Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced the 31-man roster for the 2026 World Cup South American Qualifiers to be held in September on the 18th. The list was finalized by head coach Leonel Scaloni, marking the official entry of the "Pampas Eagles" into the final stage of this South American qualifiers.

At present, the South American qualifiers have reached the 16th round. Argentina has ranked first with 11 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses and 3 losses, leading the second place Ecuador team by as many as 10 points. It has secured the top spot in the group in advance and successfully advanced to the World Cup finals.

Although the qualification for qualifying has been obtained, the two qualifiers in September are still of special significance - this will be the last two games of this South American qualifiers. Argentina will face Venezuela at home on September 4 and challenge Ecuador away on September 10. The team hopes to bring a successful end to the qualifiers journey with two wins.

The core players in this 31-man roster are all listed: captain Messi, main striker Lautaro Martinez, midfielder Alexis McAllister, defensive backer Christian Romero and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez were successfully selected. At the same time, Scaloni also focused on the future and recruited young newcomers such as defender Julio Soler, midfielder Nicholas Pas, Claudio Echebery and Franko Mastantoyano. In addition, midfielder Valentine Calbonney has also returned to the national team, which is his second selection after nearly a year since the Copa America in the 2024 summer.

The biggest highlight of this list is that two players have been recruited for the national team for the first time: Alan Barella, who is now playing for Porto, has gained a foothold in the Portuguese Super League and has become the main force of the team since transferring from Boca's youth. Another newcomer is Jose Manuel Lopez, a striker who plays for Palmeiras in the Barcelona League. He performed well in 2025 and has scored 15 goals for the team and is in a hot state.

However, some players were also out of the election. Midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who received a red card against Colombia (1-1) on June 10, was not called up this time. In addition, Alejandro Garnacho, whose future destination is still unclear, defender Valentine Balco, who performed well in Strasbourg, and forward Paul Dybala, who gradually faded out of the main lineup at the end of last season, also unfortunately lost.