The wait is over. Lionel Scaloni has announced the official 26-man squad for Argentina ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The biggest surprise is the omission of Franco Mastantuono, while veteran defender Marcos Acuña also failed to make the final roster.

Led by captain Lionel Messi, Argentina will travel to the United States, Mexico and Canada looking to defend the world title they won in Qatar.

Mastantuono and Acuña headline the omissions

Scaloni’s final list includes a few notable absences.

The most surprising is Mastantuono, who was unable to earn a spot in an attack filled with established stars and proven international performers.

Acuña, one of Argentina’s World Cup winners from Qatar 2022, was also left out of the squad.

At the same time, Scaloni has maintained the core of the team that lifted the World Cup, blending experience with emerging talent such as Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Julián Álvarez and Giuliano Simeone.

Argentina’s official squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Goalkeepers

• Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez (Aston Villa)
• Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille)
• Juan Musso (Atlético de Madrid)

Defenders

• Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille)
• Nicolás Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon)
• Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate)
• Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United)
• Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
• Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
• Facundo Medina (Olympique Marseille)
• Nahuel Medina (Atlético de Madrid)

Midfielders

• Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors)
• Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami)
• Valentín Barco (Racing Strasbourg)
• Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis)
• Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
• Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
• Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)

Forwards

• Julián Álvarez (Atlético de Madrid)
• Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
• Nico González (Atlético de Madrid)
• Thiago Almada (Atlético de Madrid)
• Giuliano Simeone (Atlético de Madrid)
• Nico Paz (Como)
• Juan Manuel López (Palmeiras)
• Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)

Messi leads Argentina’s title defense

At 39 years old, Messi remains the centerpiece of Argentina’s ambitions heading into another World Cup.

The captain will look to add another historic chapter to a career that already includes the 2022 World Cup title, two Copa América trophies and countless records with the national team.

Alongside Messi, key figures such as Dibu Martínez, Rodrigo De Paul, Cristian Romero, Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez will lead an Argentina side widely considered one of the favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World

Watch beIN SPORTS Xtra live for free on YouTube