Lionel Messi will miss the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia due to injury. In his place, coach Lionel Scaloni has called up Paulo Dybala to strengthen the Argentina national team.
Messi, who has not played for his club, Inter Miami, since suffering an ankle injury during Argentina’s 1-0 win over Colombia in the Copa America final, will remain sidelined for recovery. Messi's absence opens the door for Dybala, the AS Roma striker, who last played for the national team in March 2023, to add to his 38 international caps.
In addition to Messi, Argentina will also play without Angel Di Maria, who has officially retired from international duty. Nevertheless, the Tango team is still leading the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The qualification system involves 10 countries, with the top six teams directly advancing to the final tournament. In their upcoming matches, Argentina will host Chile on September 6, before traveling to Barranquilla to face Colombia four days later.
Argentina Squad List:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa/ENG), Juan Musso (Atalanta/ITA), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille/FRA), Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven/NED)
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla/ESP), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille/FRA), Cristian Romero (Tottenham/ENG), German Pezzella (River Plate), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica/POR), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United/ENG), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon/FRA), Valentin Barco (Sevilla/ESP)
Midfielders: Guido Rodriguez (West Ham/ENG), Leandro Paredes (Roma/ITA), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool/ENG), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Ezequiel Fernandez (Al Qadsiah/KSA), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea/ENG), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham/ENG)
Forwards: Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United/ENG), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina/ITA), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/ITA), Valentin Carboni (Monza/ITA), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Valentin Castellanos (Lazio/ITA), Matias Soule (Roma/ITA), Paulo Dybala (Roma/ITA)
The absences of Messi and Di Maria are significant challenges for Scaloni, but with the depth of the squad, Argentina remains optimistic about maintaining their top position in the qualification standings.