Lionel Messi will captain Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026, national coach Lionel Scaloni said Thursday as he picked his 26-man squad.
Messi, 38, had not previously confirmed his participation in what will be a record-breaking sixth tournament for the Argentine superstar.
But it had been widely assumed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would be again leading Argentina, four years after lifting the trophy in Qatar.
Thursday’s announcement confirmed Messi’s presence but notably excluded Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono from the Argentina squad.
Mastantuono is one of the brightest prospects in Argentine football at just 18 years of age.
The biggest World Cup ever begins June 11, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico co-hosting. Argentina’s opener is five days later against Algeria in Kansas City.
Messi has been at the center of an injury scare in recent days with his club side, Inter Miami, this week, saying medical tests diagnosed him with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring.
The Major League Soccer club had not offered a clear timetable for Messi’s return after he departed suddenly during Miami’s 6-4 win over Philadelphia in the 73rd minute Sunday.
However, Scaloni had minimized the severity of the injury this week.
Center-back Cristian Romero, who has not played since suffering a knee injury last month, was also named in the squad.
The Tottenham Hotspur captain was ruled out for the remainder of the Premier League season after he was shoved into his goalkeeper by Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.
Seventeen of the 26 players who won the title in Qatar are in Argentina’s squad.
The young players called up are Nicolas Paz and Valentin Barco, aged 21. Also included is Palmeiras striker Jose Manuel Lopez, who made his international debut just last year.
Other notable absentees include Emiliano Buendía, who is in excellent form at Aston Villa, and Roma star Paulo Dybala.
The South American giants will travel to the US for pre-World Cup friendlies against Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9.
Argentina is also grouped with Austria and Jordan at the World Cup.
Messi will be joined in the summer’s sixth World Cup by Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexican custodian Guillermo Ochoa.
Read More: Neymar return to Brazil’s World Cup squad sends the crowd into a frenzy
