19 August 2025
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has announced his preliminary 31-man squad for the matches against Venezuela and Ecuador in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Argentina currently leads the South American qualifiers.
Argentina will host Venezuela on September 4 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, and then travel to face Ecuador on September 9 in the final two qualifiers.
The Tango team, led by 38-year-old Lionel Messi, includes young talents such as Franco Mastrantuono, who recently joined Real Madrid, and Claudio Echeverri, a Manchester City player.
FULL LIST:
Argentina's squad for the matches against Venezuela and Ecuador is as follows: Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Walter Benitez (Crystal Palace), Jeronimo Rulli (Marseille).
Defense: Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Otamendi (Benfica), Molina (Atlético Madrid), Montiel (River Plate), Balerdi (Marseille), Foyth (Villarreal), Tagliafico (Lyon), Acuna (River Plate), Soler (Bournemouth), Medina (Marseille).
Midfielders: Mac Allister (Liverpool), Palacios (Leverkusen), Varela (Porto), Paredes (Boca Juniors), Almada (Atlético Madrid), Paz (Como), De Paul (Inter Miami), Lo Celso (Betis), Echeverri (Manchester City), Mastantuono (Real Madrid), Carboni (Genoa).
Attackers: Juliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid), Angel Correa (Tigres), Julian Álvarez (Atlético Madrid), Nicolás González (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), López (Palmeiras).
