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Lionel Messi and the Future of the Argentina Team

Friday, May 29, 2026
5 min read
Lionel Messi and the Future of the Argentina Team

Lionel Messi . He’s going to captain Argentina again. That’s what Scaloni announced on Thursday. The big one.

It’s for the World Cup 2026 . That’s the one. And it’s going to be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. A massive stage for him.

He’s thirty-eight now. Poised for a sixth time. That’s the goal, isn’t it? Cementing that legacy.

But there was always that shadow. The uncertainty.

He hadn’t really said anything about playing yet. But everyone was waiting. Waiting for him to lead again, four years after Qatar.

Then Scaloni just put him in. The 26-man squad. No more guessing.

Of course, there were worries.

The fitness stuff. It always comes back. Inter Miami talked earlier this week. They found muscle fatigue in his left hamstring. After that crazy 6-4 win against Philadelphia.

No timeline for recovery. The MLS side just shrugged. But Scaloni downplayed it. Said it wasn’t a big deal.

Argentina is moving. They welcomed back Cristian Romero too. Remember him? He was out, dealing with that knee injury from the Premier League stuff—Brobbey and his keeper.

It’s a strange mix in the squad, though. Messi is the anchor. But you see the next wave too.

Young blood is there. Franco Mastantuono, just eighteen, he was left out of the final list. A real shame.

But then you have the others. Nicolas Paz, Valentin Barco. They got call-ups. And Jose Manuel Lopez stayed. He debuted just last year.

Seventeen guys from that Qatar squad are sticking around. Scaloni trying to balance the old guard with the new stuff.

Some big names just didn't make the final cut. Emiliano Buendia, the Aston Villa guy. And Paulo Dybala. Gone.

It’s a lineup, you know?

Squad Breakdown

Goalkeepers:

  • Emiliano Martinez
  • Geronimo Rulli
  • Juan Musso

Defenders:

  • Gonzalo Montiel
  • Nahuel Molina
  • Lisandro Martinez
  • Nicolas Otamendi
  • Leonardo Balerdi
  • Cristian Romero, who’s back
  • Facundo Medina
  • Nicolas Tagliafico

Midfielders:

  • Leandro Paredes
  • Rodrigo de Paul
  • Exequiel Palacios
  • Enzo Fernandez
  • Alexis MacAllister
  • Lo Celso
  • Barco

Attackers:

  • Messi
  • Nicolas Paz
  • Thiago Almada
  • Nicolas Gonzalez
  • Julian Alvarez
  • Giuliano Simeone
  • Jose Manuel Lopez

It’s a lot of names crammed in. All trying to make history.

They’re heading to the US for warm-ups. June 6 against Honduras. June 9 against Iceland. Austria and Jordan are also on the itinerary.

Ronaldo. And Ochoa. They’re expected to be there too. Sixth tournaments.

It just feels like everything is moving, fast. A whole new phase.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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