Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has unveiled the 26-man squad that will look to retain the FIFA World Cup in North America. Headlined by Lionel Messi, the champions from Qatar 2022 are hoping to retain the title, a feat not achieved since Brazil successfully defended their crown in 1962.
Messi leads an attack that also includes Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez.
Scaloni has placed his trust in several players who were not part of the squad in Qatar, such as Valentin Barco — who enjoyed an excellent season in Europe — Jose Manuel Lopez, a Palmeiras center-forward who provides backup options for Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, and Nico Paz, who is highly regarded by the coaching staff following his strong performance at Como.
Messi, who is poised to play in his sixth World Cup, enters the tournament on the back of physical discomfort sustained in his last match for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami. “We were watching (Messi’s) game back at the training complex when we realized he had asked to be substituted — that he wasn’t feeling right,” Scaloni said.
“The initial reports aren’t too bad. Naturally, we would have preferred that nothing had happened to him at all. Now, we just have to wait and see how things develop. I imagine he’ll undergo further tests to confirm whether the situation is truly as they say.”
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who fractured a finger during last week’s UEFA Europa League final while competing for Aston Villa, has also been confirmed, as has defender Cristian Romero, who is himself recovering from a knee problem.
