Argentina’s national football team has released its provisional roster for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, confirming that star forward Lionel Messi and midfield stalwart Rodrigo De Paul will feature in the squad.
The announcement comes as the tournament prepares for a historic expansion, growing from the traditional 32‑team format to a 48‑team edition co‑hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Messi eyes a new goal‑scoring milestone
At 38 years old, Messi enters his sixth World Cup campaign with 13 career goals and eight assists in the competition. He sits three strikes away from matching Miroslav Klose’s all‑time record of 16 goals, a benchmark that has defined elite World Cup strikers for decades.
Argentina enter the tournament as reigning champions, having lifted the trophy in 2022 in Qatar. Their triumph was built on a blend of tactical discipline and attacking flair, a formula overseen by head coach Lionel Scaloni, who guided the side through a dramatic penalty shoot‑out victory.
Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, a key figure in Argentina’s 2022 triumph, brings experience and versatility to the midfield. The 30‑year‑old recently completed a loan spell at Atlético Madrid before joining Inter Miami in 2025, where he contributed to the club’s MLS Cup victory in his debut season.
The expanded tournament will see matches spread across multiple venues, including Kansas City, Missouri, and Dallas, Texas, among others. Fans can expect a dense schedule that tests squad depth and tactical rotation.
With the World Cup just over a year away, Argentina’s blend of veteran leadership and emerging talent positions them as contenders once again. The squad’s chemistry, forged in recent international fixtures, aims to replicate the cohesion that propelled them to glory three years ago.