- Scaloni Includes Messi, Omits Real Madrid’s Mastantuono From Argentina Squad
Lionel Messi has been named in Argentina’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as head coach Lionel Scaloni retained several key members of the country’s 2022 title-winning side while leaving out Real Madrid midfielder Franco Mastantuono.
Scaloni announced his squad on Thursday, May 28, with Argentina preparing to defend the World Cup crown they won in Qatar after beating France on penalties in the 2022 final.
Argentina have been drawn in Group J, where they are scheduled to face Algeria, Jordan and Austria.
Messi headlines the squad, with other 2022 World Cup winners also retained, including Emiliano Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez.
Scaloni also handed places to young performers Nico Paz of FC Como and Valentin Barco of Strasbourg following their standout 2025-26 campaigns.
But Mastantuono’s exclusion will attract attention, particularly given his profile at Real Madrid and Argentina’s tradition of integrating elite young attacking talent into major tournament squads.
Citi Sports reported that the omission represents another blow to Real Madrid, which also had no Spanish player included in Spain’s World Cup squad.
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was also left out of the Argentina squad after his involvement in an alleged racist incident involving Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during a UEFA Champions League match. Prestianni was handed a one-match provisional ban, although he maintained that he was not racist towards anyone.
For Argentina, the squad reflects continuity rather than a dramatic generational reset.
Scaloni has kept the spine of the side that delivered Argentina’s third World Cup title, while selectively adding younger players capable of supporting the team’s title defence.
The inclusion of Messi will inevitably dominate global attention. The Inter Miami forward remains Argentina’s symbolic and technical leader, and his presence gives the defending champions both experience and attacking quality as they seek to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup.
Still, Argentina’s title defence will come with pressure. The 2022 triumph ended the country’s long wait for a World Cup, but it also raised expectations around a squad that has become one of the defining teams of the modern international game.
Scaloni’s decision to retain trusted senior players suggests he values tournament experience, dressing-room stability and tactical familiarity over wholesale renewal.
The question now is whether that continuity can carry Argentina through another demanding World Cup campaign.
For Messi, the tournament offers another opportunity to extend an already historic international career. For Mastantuono and other omitted players, it is a reminder that talent and club profile alone do not guarantee a place in a World Cup squad.
Argentina will begin their title defence with the confidence of champions, but also with the scrutiny that comes with being the team everyone wants to beat.
