The 2026 World Cup is set to begin soon, and Argentina will be looking to defend what they achieved in Qatar 2022. Injuries are an issue affecting the squad led by Lionel Messi, which is why manager Lionel Scaloni has already warned about potential changes to the roster if any of these 10 players fail to regain full fitness in time.
The most delicate case might be of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who is dealing with a fractured finger on his hand. Messi, meanwhile, continues recovering from a hamstring inflammation, although he is expected to be in optimal condition for the opening match against Algeria.
Cristian Romero is in the final stage of his recovery from a lateral knee ligament injury, while right-backs Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are both dealing with muscle tears.
Nicolas Gonzalez is also carrying a muscle tear, Nicolas Paz is dealing with a knee contusion, Thiago Almada is suffering from muscle overload, and Julian Alvarez has an ankle sprain. Leandro Paredes also raised concerns in his latest appearance for his club, after suffering a hamstring strain.
Nicolas Paz of Como, injured.
Argentina’s warm-up matches
The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, is already hard at work training at its base camp in Kansas City. The squad is fully focused on its upcoming preparation matches, with two international friendlies scheduled just days apart: first against Honduras this Saturday, followed by a clash against Iceland next Tuesday.
Argentina national team.
Chasing back-to-back World Cup titles
In Group J of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina will debut against Algeria on June 17 at the Kansas City Stadium. For their second fixture, the national team will travel to the AT&T Stadium to face Austria on June 22 in Dallas. Finally, the Albiceleste will wrap up the group stage on June 28 against Jordan, playing once again at the Dallas Stadium. Defending their Qatar 2022 crown, Argentina will be looking to join the list of consecutive World Cup champions.
Argentina’s opponent has already suffered a setback
Austria have suffered a devastating blow just ahead of the World Cup, as Christoph Baumgartner has been officially ruled out of the entire tournament. The RB Leipzig star sustained a serious muscle injury in his right thigh on Monday, during the warm-up session just before friendly match against Tunisia.
Following an MRI scan on Tuesday morning, the Austrian Football Association confirmed the severe extent of the tear, completely shattering his hopes of facing Argentina and forcing manager Ralf Rangnick to quickly search for a replacement.
