Argentina: Lionel Messi won't have a key offensive teammate for the 2024 Copa America

The 2024 Copa America is about to begin, and Argentina is one of the favorites to win. Unfortunately, Lionel Messi will be without a key player in his formidable offense for their most important tournament of the year.

This summer will be very exciting for soccer fans. In the United States, 16 teams will compete in the 2024 Copa America, with Argentina being favored due to their victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Lionel Scaloni, the team’s manager, built a remarkable roster that helped Argentina win the World Cup. However, he has now made huge changes for the upcoming Copa America, leaving several of those players off the list.

Argentina leaves Lionel Messi without a key teammate for the 2024 Copa America

Everything is set for an exciting 2024 Copa America. Ten CONMEBOL teams and six invited CONCACAF nations will compete to determine the best team on the continent.

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For many fans and analysts, Argentina arrives at this tournament as the main favorite to win. Led by Lionel Messi, the Albiceleste boasts a remarkable roster, but several players have been surprisingly left off the list.

Lionel Scaloni unveiled the pre-list for the 2024 Copa America. The manager has shocked several fans, as he left Paulo Dybala out of the roster, one of the best offensive players of Argentina currently.

According to Scaloni, the move comes from a tactical point of view. Dybala suffered several injuries throughout the season, playing only 27 games out of 37, but he was able to contribute to 22 goals (13 scored and nine assists) this campaign with AS Roma.

Paulo Dybala of AS Roma

Thiago Almada, Juan Foyth, and Alejandro Gomez have also not been included in this preliminary list. All of them, along with Paulo Dybala, won the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina.

Could Paulo Dybala still be called for the 2024 Copa America?

Technically, Paulo Dybala is not entirely out of contention for the 2024 Copa America. The preliminary list presented by Scaloni features players who will be initially considered for the final 29-man roster, but it is not definitive.

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If Scaloni needs a player outside of this list, he could still call him up. The nations have until June 12 to present the final roster for the upcoming tournament, but the chances of being called up are obviously lower if a player is not on the preliminary list.