Is Lionel Messi fully fit for World Cup 2026? Argentina squad announcement raises questions
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has eased concerns over the fitness of several key players by confirming that captain Lionel Messi and most of the reigning world champions will be part of the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Messi, who is set to turn 39, headlines Argentina’s 26-man World Cup squad announced Thursday by the Argentine Football Association as the South American giants prepare to defend the title they won in Qatar in 2022.
Seventeen players from Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad against France in the 2022 final have retained their places in the team.
There had been uncertainty surrounding several players ahead of FIFA’s June 1 deadline for final squad submissions due to injuries, including Messi himself.
The Inter Miami forward is currently dealing with muscle fatigue and a strain in his left hamstring, an injury that forced him to leave his club’s match last Sunday before full time.
Inter Miami has officially stated that Messi’s recovery timeline will depend on “his clinical and functional progress.”
The tournament in 2026 will mark Messi’s sixth FIFA World Cup appearance after previously featuring in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Argentina have also included star goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez despite the Aston Villa player suffering a fractured ring finger on his right hand during last week’s Europa League final victory over Freiburg.
Defender Cristian Romero has also been named in the squad while recovering from a sprained collateral ligament injury in his right knee suffered during Tottenham duty in April.
Fullbacks Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel, both recovering from muscle injuries, have also been included. Montiel famously converted the decisive penalty in Argentina’s World Cup final shootout win over France in Qatar.
Three-time world champions Argentina, winners in 1978, 1986 and 2022, will begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Algeria on June 16 in Group J, which also features Austria and Jordan.
The team will travel to Kansas City on Saturday for its pre-World Cup training camp before playing warm-up matches against Honduras and Iceland.
Argentina’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico de Madrid)
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atletico de Madrid), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon), Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille)
Midfielders: Giovani Lo Celso (Betis), Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Valentín Barco (RC Strasbourg Alsace)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico de Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico de Madrid), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Julian alvarez (Atlético de Madrid), Thiago Almada (Lyon), Nico Paz (Como)