Paulo Dybala helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup. However, four years later, he was completely omitted from La Albiceleste’s roster for the 2026 edition—a decision stemming purely from a tactical shift by manager Lionel Scaloni.
When head coach Lionel Scaloni announced Argentina’s preliminary 55-man roster in May 2026, the absence of Paulo Dybala was one of the most stunning talking points for fans worldwide. Despite a strong individual finish to his club season with AS Roma, the 32-year-old forward was completely excluded from the tournament pool.
Scaloni addressed the heavy scrutiny surrounding the decision directly, explaining that the choice was purely tactical and forward-looking, building a star-studded roster and even with some of them born outside of Argentina.
“Paulo is a great player, it goes without saying. He’s made an exceptional comeback with his team, reaching the Champions League with some very good performances in recent matches,” Scaloni told DS Sports. “In our case, there are guys who have established themselves in that position on the pitch and who deserve a chance. So we decided to give this opportunity to other guys.”
Lionel Scaloni of Argentina at Estadio Alberto J. Armando in Buenos Aires.
Paulo Dybala is not the only star missing
While Paulo Dybala’s absence surprised many, he was not the only star left out of the roster. Franco Mastantuono is also not playing in the 2026 World Cup for Argentina, and the list only starts there.
As Argentina have several stars spread out across soccer’s top leagues, Lionel Scaloni had to make several tough decisions by leaving some key players out of the final roster. As the manager noted, other players were simply in better shape than the ones who were left out.
Alongside Dybala and Mastantuono, names like Angel Correa, Alejandro Gomez, Marcos Acuna, German Pezzella, Guido Rodriguez, or Alejandro Garnacho failed to make the final cut due to a purely tactical decision by Lionel Scaloni.
Other players, such as Angel Di Maria and Franco Armani are also missing from the roster, as they recently retired from international soccer, while Juan Foyth missed out due to a severe ACL injury suffered back in January.
Argentina’s 2026 World Cup Group J schedule
Led by captain Lionel Messi, the defending world champions begin their title defense against Algeria, looking to navigate a tricky Group J path in the 2026 World Cup without some of their familiar veteran presence.
- June 16, 2026: Argentina vs. Algeria — Kansas City Stadium (9:00 PM ET)
- June 22, 2026: Argentina vs. Austria — Dallas Stadium (1:00 PM ET)
- June 27, 2026: Jordan vs. Argentina — Dallas Stadium (10:00 PM ET)
