Argentina Coach anounces surprice inclusions!
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni unveiled a 55-man preliminary squad!
Buenos Aires, May 11 (EFE).-
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni unveiled a 55-man preliminary squad for the 2026 World Cup on Monday, led by captain Lionel Messi and featuring a mix of established stars, emerging talents, and several surprise inclusions.
With several new faces and some notable absences, Scaloni is preparing to select the final 26-player roster that will defend the title won in Qatar in 2022.
The Messi-led squad includes key figures such as Julián Álvarez and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. It also features several young local talents, including Club Atlético River Plate goalkeeper Santiago Beltrán and Boca Juniors midfielder Tomás Aranda.
Among the notable absentees are West Ham striker Valentín Castellanos and AS Roma forward Paulo Dybala. Tigres forward Ángel Correa and Benfica midfielder Enzo Barrenechea were also left out.
Several surprise inclusions stand out in the preliminary squad, including Getafe defender Zaid Romero, Boca Juniors youngsters Lautaro Di Lollo and Milton Delgado, Girona attacker Claudio “Diablito” Echeverri and Parma striker Mateo Pellegrino.
Another noteworthy name is Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, although attention around him stems not from his lack of experience with the national team but from the two-match suspension he would have to serve at the World Cup if selected.
The sanction followed an incident involving an insult directed at Brazilian winger Vinícius Júnior during a Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid.
The preliminary list also includes players who have had limited involvement in the South American qualifiers but are still considered contenders for a final roster spot, such as Franco Mastantuono and Alejandro Garnacho.
The main doubts remain in defence, where Scaloni is still searching for reliable alternatives at both full-back and centre-back positions, which explains the large number of defenders included in the squad.
Argentina will compete in Group J at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, where they are scheduled to face Algeria, Austria and Jordan. EFE pd-sk
