Staff Correspondent
Argentina has already secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup from the Latin American qualifiers. Now, ahead of the final two matches, coach Lionel Scaloni has announced a 29-member squad.
The surprise inclusions are three young players—Claudio Echeverri, Alan Varela, and José Manuel López. However, Lisandro Martínez, Enzo Fernández, Facundo Medina, and Ángel Correa will miss out due to injuries and suspensions.
Although the matches against Venezuela (September 5, home) and Ecuador (September 10, away) are merely formalities for Argentina, Scaloni’s focus is on testing the performance of the newcomers.
Squad List:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez, Walter Benítez, Gerónimo Rulli.
Defenders: Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel, Leonardo Balerdi, Juan Foyth, Nicolás Tagliafico, Marcos Acuña, Julio Solar.
Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister, Exequiel Palacios, Alan Varela, Leandro Paredes, Thiago Almada, Nicolás Paz, Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso, Claudio Echeverri, Franco Mastantuono, Valentín Carboni.
Forwards: Giuliano Simeone, Julián Álvarez, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, José Manuel López.