"I'll do everything possible for him to be there." Lionel Scaloni said that back in March, and it remains the most honest summary of where things stand with Lionel Messi and the 2026 World Cup.
Argentina's squad announcement is expected on May 30 — the FIFA deadline for all competing nations to submit their final lists. A provisional squad was already due by May 11, and reports from Argentine outlet La Nacion confirm Messi was included on that initial submission. Whether he makes the cut to the final group of 23 to 26 players is still his decision, not Scaloni's.
Messi's call, not the coach's
Messi has been measured about the whole thing for months. He said he'd take his time. He hasn't rushed the decision. Scaloni has been careful not to push him publicly, knowing that pressuring the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner into a tournament appearance — at what would be age 38 during the finals — helps nobody if the body isn't right.
"Honestly, I think for the good of soccer he has to be there," Scaloni admitted. "But I'm not the one who says." That's a coach managing his own expectations as much as anything else. Argentina won this thing without a fully fit Messi in 2022 — they can compete without him. But the odds of going back-to-back look considerably healthier with him on the pitch than without.
Scaloni still has serious firepower beyond Messi. Julian Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Emiliano Martinez were all named for the March internationals, and younger options like Tomas Palacios and Gabriel Rojas are being evaluated. The attacking depth is real regardless of the captain's decision.
Roster rules and Argentina's Kansas City setup
Under FIFA regulations, squads must contain between 23 and 26 players, with at least three goalkeepers. Injury replacements are permitted up to 24 hours before a team's first match — for Argentina, that's June 16 against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. After that, the squad is locked, with the only exception being goalkeeper injuries, which can be swapped at any stage with FIFA approval.
Speaking of Kansas City — Argentina have set up their entire World Cup base there. The Argentine federation ran multiple inspection trips across the U.S. before settling on the Sporting KC Training Center as their main facility, with the squad expected to stay at the Origin Kansas City Riverfront hotel. The logic was straightforward: central location, manageable travel distances between group-stage venues, and the right facilities.
Up to 27 team officials will travel with the squad. The logistics are sorted. The only unanswered question — the one everyone actually wants resolved — is whether Messi will be on the plane.
