Argentina Gives Major Update on Lionel Messi’s 2026 World Cup Involvement

Lionel Messi has been included in Argentina’s long list of 55 players for the nation’s preliminary World Cup roster, released Monday.

While this is no guarantee that the global superstar will be at the tournament this summer, it does back up the stance he has consistently taken when questioned on his future involvement. As Messi explained back in October, he will play if he feels fully fit and capable of operating at his best.

At the time of the preliminary roster’s announcement, Messi was undoubtedly living up to his own criteria—and it is strictly his decision to make, given there is no question that manager Lionel Scaloni would call up his compatriot whatever state of fitness he was in.

The day before the long list was released, Messi played the full 90 minutes of Inter Miami’s 4–2 victory over Toronto FC, teeing up two goals before adding one of his own. Messi is averaging one goal involvement every 83 minutes in MLS this year.

While he continues to perform at such high standards in the exact climate conditions which may hamstring many younger professionals heading across to the U.S., Mexico and Canada for this summer’s tournament, there’s little reason to fret over Messi’s World Cup appearance. However, Argentina’s captain is wary that his mere presence will not guarantee a second successive global title.

Argentina’s 55-Player Preliminary World Cup Roster in Full

Goalkeepers

• Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
• Gerónimo Rulli (Marseille)
• Juan Musso (Atlético Madrid)
• Walter Benítez (Crystal Palace)
• Facundo Cambeses (Racing Club)
• Santiago Beltran (River Plate)

Defenders

• Agustín Giay (Palmeiras)
• Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate)
• Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid)
• Nicolás Capaldo (Hamburg)
• Kevin Mac Allister (Union Saint Gilloise)
• Lucas Martinez Quarta (River Plate)
• Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth)
• Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United)
• Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
• Germán Pezzella (River Plate)
• Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille)
• Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
• Lautaro Di Lollo (Boca Juniors)
• Zaid Romero (Getafe)
• Facundo Medina (Marseille)
• Marcos Acuña (River Plate)
• Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon)
• Gabriel Rojas (Racing Club)

Midfielders/Forwards

• Máximo Perrone (Como)
• Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors)
• Guido Rodríguez (Valencia)
• Aníbal Moreno (River Plate)
• Milton Delgado (Boca Juniors)
• Alan Varela (Porto)
• Ezequiel Fernández (Bayer Leverkusen)
• Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami)
• Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
• Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)
• Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
• Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis)
• Nicolás Domínguez (Nottingham Forest)
• Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa)
• Valentín Barco (Strasbourg)
• Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
• Nico Paz (Como)
• Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid)
• Thiago Almada (Atlético Madrid)
• Tomás Aranda (Boca Juniors)
• Nicolás González (Atlético Madrid)
• Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea)
• Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid)
• Matías Soulé (Roma)
• Claudio Echeverri (Girona)
• Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica)
• Santiago Castro (Bologna)
• Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)
• José Manuel López (Palmeiras)
• Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid)
• Mateo Pellegrino (Parma)

Lionel Messi Names Six World Cup Favorites

“We have to get excited, like Argentinians always do whenever there’s an official competition, whether it’s the Copa América or the World Cup,” Messi explained during a recent appearance on the YouTube show Lo Del Pollo, “but we also have to know that there are other favorites ahead of us, who are coming in better as a group and as a team.”

When pushed on exactly who those “favorites” were, Messi leapt straight for the team Argentina beat in the 2022 World Cup final.

“Right now, France looks very good again. They have many top-level players,” he fairly reasoned. Didier Deschamps’s side boast the widest range of attacking talent available to any nation on the planet and have proven to be grizzled, wily tournament veterans, unafraid to eschew style points for success.

In terms of alternative challengers, Messi valued upon historic success as much as a team’s modern standing. “I think Spain, Brazil—although they haven’t been at their best lately—are always contenders and have the players to compete in all official competitions,” he argued, referring to the defending European champions and a Brazil side coming off its worst-ever record in World Cup qualification.

“Then we all say the same things,” Messi continued. “Germany, England, the big powers… Portugal has a very competitive and good team too. And then there’s always some surprise...”

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