Lionel Messi is going to a sixth World Cup. Coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed it Thursday, naming the 38-year-old as captain of Argentina's 26-man squad for the tournament in North America — ending weeks of speculation fuelled by a hamstring scare that had left his participation genuinely uncertain.
Inter Miami reported muscle fatigue in Messi's left hamstring after he limped off in the 73rd minute of a 6-4 win over Philadelphia last Sunday. No return date was given. Scaloni played it down publicly, and clearly believed it enough to name him — but anyone betting on Argentina to go deep will be watching that left leg closely between now and June 16, when they open against Algeria in Kansas City.
The cuts that will dominate the conversation
Franco Mastantuono is not in the squad. The 18-year-old Real Madrid signing is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young players in Argentine football, and his omission is the selection decision Scaloni will be asked to justify most. Alejandro Garnacho misses out too, as does Paulo Dybala. Emiliano Buendia, currently one of the form players at Aston Villa, also doesn't make it.
Scaloni has gone with experience and familiarity — 17 of the 26 players were part of the Qatar-winning squad. That's a deliberate choice, not an oversight. He's not rebuilding; he's defending.
Cristian Romero is included despite a knee injury that ended his Premier League season early. The Tottenham captain hasn't played since being pushed into his own goalkeeper in a match against Sunderland. Including him is a calculated gamble — Romero at 80 percent is probably still worth the roster spot, but it's a risk.
Who does make it
The attacking options beyond Messi are strong. Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez lead the line, with Nicolas Paz and Valentin Barco among the younger faces handed opportunities. Atletico Madrid are sending four players — Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Gonzalez, Giuliano Simeone and Thiago Almada — which says something about both the club's season and Argentina's current scouting priorities.
The full squad:
- Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid)
- Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon)
- Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Alexis MacAllister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg)
- Attackers: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Paz (Como), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras)
Argentina face Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9 before the tournament begins. Their group contains Algeria, Austria and Jordan — a draw that puts them in prime position to advance comfortably, provided Messi's hamstring cooperates.
He turns 39 in June. This is almost certainly his last World Cup. Scaloni has built the squad around making sure it counts.
