The countdown is on. With the 2026 World Cup just one month away, Argentina have joined the ranks of nations submitting their provisional 55-man rosters. Head coach Lionel Scaloni’s list is unsurprisingly headlined by Lionel Messi, but the big story lies in the names left behind.
The roster features several notable omissions, most strikingly the absence of six 2022 World Cup heroes. Paulo Dybala, Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez, Franco Armani, Angel Di Maria, Juan Foyth, and Angel Correa will all miss out on Argentina’s title defense in North America.
While Dybala, Gomez, Correa, and Foyth were reportedly omitted due to a combination of injuries and declining form, the absences of Di Maria and Armani are final, as both veterans have officially retired from international duty.
In a major boost for Messi and company, FIFA has cleared Nicolas Otamendi for Argentina’s tournament opener. The veteran defender’s inclusion in the 55-man preliminary list solidifies the backline for the upcoming campaign across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Lionel Messi of Argentina.
Messi headlines Argentina’s 55-man preliminary roster
To complement his core of returning world champions, Scaloni has injected fresh blood into the squad. Several rising stars are vying for a final spot in the rotation, including Como’s Nico Paz, River Plate’s Santiago Beltran, and Benfica standout Gianluca Prestianni.
Here is Argentina’s full 55-man preliminary list:
- Goalkeepers
- Emiliano Martinez – Aston Villa
- Geronimo Rulli – Olympique Marseille
- Juan Musso – Atletico Madrid
- Walter Benitez – Crystal Palace FC
- Facundo Cambeses – Racing Club
- Santiago Beltran – River Plate
- Defenders
- Agustin Giay – Palmeiras
- Gonzalo Montiel – River Plate
- Nahuel Molina – Atletico de Madrid
- Nicolas Capaldo – Hamburger SV
- Kevin Mac Allister – Union Saint Gilloise
- Lucas Martinez Quarta – River Plate
- Marcos Senesi – Bournemouth
- Lisandro Martinez – Manchester United
- Nicolas Otamendi – SL Benfica
- German Pezzella – River Plate
- Leonardo Balerdi – Olympique Marseille
- Cristian Romero – Tottenham Hotspur
- Lautaro Di Lollo – Boca Juniors
- Zaid Romero – Getafe CF
- Facundo Medina – Olympique Marseille
- Marcos Acuna – River Plate
- Nicolas Tagliafico – Olympique Lyon
- Gabriel Rojas – Racing Club
- Midfielders
- Maximo Perrone – Calcio Como 1907
- Leandro Paredes – Boca Juniors
- Guido Rodriguez – Valencia CF
- Anibal Moreno – River Plate
- Milton Delgado – Boca Juniors
- Alan Varela – FC Porto
- Ezequiel Fernandez – Bayer Leverkusen
- Rodrigo De Paul – Inter Miami
- Exequiel Palacios – Bayer Leverkusen
- Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea
- Alexis Mac Allister – Liverpool
- Giovani Lo Celso – Real Betis
- Nicolas Dominguez – Nottingham Forest
- Emiliano Buendia – Aston Villa
- Valentin Barco – RC Strasbourg
- Forwards
- Lionel Messi – Inter Miami
- Nicolas Paz – Como 1907
- Franco Mastantuono – Real Madrid
- Thiago Almada – Atletico Madrid
- Tomas Aranda – Boca Juniors
- Nicolas Gonzalez – Atletico Madrid
- Alejandro Garnacho – Chelsea
- Giuliano Simeone – Atletico Madrid
- Matias Soule – AS Roma
- Claudio Echeverri – Girona FC
- Gianluca Prestianni – SL Benfica
- Santiago Castro – Bologna FC
- Lautaro Martinez – Inter Milan
- Jose Manuel Lopez – Palmeiras
- Julian Alvarez – Atletico Madrid
- Matteo Pellegrino – Parma Calcio
What’s next for Scaloni and Argentina?
Following the release of the 55-man preliminary squad, Scaloni and the Argentine federation must now trim the list to a final 26-man roster for the 2026 World Cup. La Albiceleste have until the May 30 submission deadline to finalize their squad, with FIFA set to officially confirm all rosters on June 2, just one week before the World Cup kicks off.
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