Argentina has announced its full 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s the nineteenth time the country has qualified for the FIFA World Cup. As the defending champions, Argentina won their third World Cup in 2022 by defeating France in a thrilling final. Their historic legacy includes a legendary 1986 victory led by Diego Maradona, as well as their first-ever World Cup title on home soil in 1978.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni announced the full squad earlier today. The absolute superstar in the squad is Lionel Messi. The man who led Argentina to its third World Cup title is now set to play in his historic sixth tournament for La Albiceleste. Messi is also the player with the most caps (198) and most goals (116) for Argentina. The squad has many key players who can make a difference. Other important players are goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), and Julián Alvarez (Atlético Madrid).
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille), Juan Musso (Atlético Madrid)
Defenders: Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nicolás Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille), Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille)
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Valentín Barco (Strasbourg)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Lautaro Martínez (Internazionale), Julián Alvarez (Atlético Madrid), Nicolás González (Atlético Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid), Nico Paz (Como), Thiago Almada (Atlético Madrid), José Manuel López (Palmeiras)
To qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina had to go through the always tough South American group. Argentina were the clear favorites to win the group and fully lived up to those expectations. They kicked off their campaign with four consecutive wins, scoring seven goals while keeping four clean sheets. On matchday 5 in Buenos Aires, the Argentines suffered a surprising 2-0 loss against Uruguay. That loss was quickly forgotten due to a win five days later in Rio de Janeiro against all-time rival Brazil. Nicolas Otamendi scored the only goal in the match. Argentina wrapped up the first half of the qualifiers with a victory over Chile, a defeat to Colombia, and a draw against Venezuela.
Argentina started the second part of the qualifiers top of the group with three points clear of runner-up Colombia. La Albiceleste started with a 6-0 win against Bolivia with a hat-trick from superstar Lionel Messi. Although the Argentines stumbled with a loss against Paraguay in Asunción, hard-fought wins over Peru and Uruguay put them on the verge of securing their World Cup spot. Argentina secured their 2026 FIFA World Cup spot on Matchday 14, thrashing Brazil 4-1 in Buenos Aires. With still four matches left to play, the Argentines had already qualified and were the first South American team to do so. In the remaining four matches, the Argentines collected seven points. Argentina won the group with 38 points, nine points more than runner-up Ecuador.
Argentina will play its matches in Group J. The world champions open their World Cup on June 16 in Kansas City, Missouri, where they will take on Algeria. Six days later, they take on Austria in Arlington, Texas. For their final group stage match, they will take on debutants Jordan on June 27 in the same stadium. The two group winners and the eight best third-placed teams from each group will advance to the next stage.
Argentina Schedule
Marcel Dorff Marcel Dorff covers Mixed Martial Arts & Soccer for Heavy.com. He has covered MMA on a professional level since 2022. More about Marcel Dorff
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