Lionel Messi will have a new teammate in his quest for consecutive FIFA World Cup triumphs as Marcos Senesi, who was recently announced by Tottenham, has been called up to the Argentine national team for the 2026 tournament.
Argentina made the announcement on social media Thursday, following days of speculation after a muscle injury ruled Leonardo Balerdi out of the tournament.
At 29, Senesi will be playing at a FIFA World Cup for the first time in his career, having failed to make the cut in Qatar 2022. Following a great Premier League season at Bournemouth, the San Lorenzo de Almagro product agreed to join Tottenham as a free agent before getting this call-up.
Senesi rejected Italy to play for Argentina
This will certainly feel like a full-circle moment for Senesi after giving up the chance to play for Italy. Back in 2022, the Azzurra tried to recruit the defender before the Finalissima against Argentina.
But Senesi had also received an invitation to the Argentine national team camp. And even though he knew the chances of making the World Cup squad in Argentina were slim, the center-back rejected Italy to maintain any hope of playing for his home country.
Senesi was on Argentina’s side in the Finalissima, which La Albiceleste won 3-0 against Italy, but didn’t log minutes. He eventually watched Qatar 2022 from home, but four years later, his decision to remain eligible for Argentina is paying off.
Senesi’s experience with Argentina
Senesi boasts just three caps with Argentina, all three of them in friendlies. His international debut came in June 2022, when he played 28 minutes of a 5-0 friendly win over Estonia.
More than three years later, Senesi made his first start during a 1-0 friendly victory over Venezuela in October 2025. His latest appearance came in March 2026, when he played the full 90 minutes of a 2-1 friendly win over Mauritania. It wasn’t a great night for the defender, who was booked in the second half, but it still didn’t prevent him from joining Messi and company for the 2026 World Cup.
Marcos Senesi’s journey towards the 2026 World Cup
The Concordia, Entre Rios native started his career at the San Lorenzo academy, the same place where Qatar 2022 champion and former Atletico Madrid star Angel Correa made his first steps before rising to stardom.
Senesi made his pro debut in 2016 and by 2018, he had already established himself as a starter. Dutch giants Feyenoord forked out €7 million to sign him in 2019, and 116 appearances later, Bournemouth spent €15m to bring him to the Premier League.
With six goals and 10 assists in 128 games, Senesi proved his worth in England and not only caught Tottenham‘s eye but also made a strong case to receive greater consideration from Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni. Now, he’ll try to help Messi repeat as world champion.
