Led by the legendary Lionel Messi, Argentina have officially unveiled their star-studded 2026 World Cup roster, including Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez Lionel Messi is officially locked in to anchor his historic, career-defining final World Cup campaign. In a highly anticipated announcement, manager Lionel Scaloni finalized Argentina’s 26-man roster for the tournament in North America, with established global superstars Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez headlining a loaded squad.
While international media outlets widely expected Scaloni to withhold the roster drop until Friday, May 29, the Argentine master tactician caught the soccer world by surprise, by releasing the official list a day early on Thursday published across the Argentine Football Association’s (AFA) social media channels.
The tournament marks a monumental milestone for the Inter Miami captain. By stepping onto the pitch in North America, Messi will officially establish an unprecedented all-time FIFA record by competing in his sixth career World Cup—a legendary longevity milestone he is slated to share with his longtime eternal rival, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
#SelecciónMayor Con toda la fuerza de los argentinos 💪🏻🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/84Lh03BgxH— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) May 28, 2026
Official 2026 Argentina World Cup roster
Goalkeepers
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille)Juan Musso (Atlético de Madrid)
Defenders
Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate)Nahuel Molina (Atlético de Madrid)Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United)Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille)Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille)Nicolás Tagliafico (Olympique de Lyon)
Midfielders
Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors)Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami)Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis)Valentín Barco (Racing Club de Strasbourg)
Forwards
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)Nico Paz (Como 1907)Thiago Almada (Atlético de Madrid)Nicolás González (Atlético de Madrid)Giuliano Simeone (Atlético de Madrid)Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)José Manuel López (Palmeiras)Julián Álvarez (Atlético de Madrid)
*Developing story