Argentina's World Cup squad 2022: Is Messi playing this World Cup?

Argentina's World Cup squad 2022: Is Messi playing this World Cup?

Samuel Lisubila
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:17 PM

Coming into the 22nd edition of the tournament, the Argentina World Cup squad is a promising contender for the title. With the great Lionel Messi leading the lot, a lot is expected from the 26-man roster.

Argentina World Cup squad
Argentina line up during the Finalissima 2022 match between Argentina and Italy at Wembley Stadium on 1 June 2022 in London, England. Photo: Jose Breton
Source: Getty Images

Lionel Scaloni's team is one of the fans' favourites heading into the competition. With all players healthy, the squad is lethal and doesn't seem to take any chances. This will be Lionel Messi's final World Cup appearance as he aims to lift the trophy against other bigwigs, Brazil, France, and England, for the first time. But before anything else, let us dig into the team's profile.

Team profile

Full name

Argentina National Football team

Nickname

La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue)

Association

Argentine Football Association

Confederation

CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation)

Head coach

Lionel Sabastian Scaloni

Most caps

Lionel Messi (165)

Top scorers

Lionel Messi (91)

Home stadium

Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti

FIFA Code

ARG

FIFA Rankings

3 as of 6 October 2022

World Cup appearances

18

Best World Cup performance

Champions (1978, 1986)

Argentina's World Cup squad

Who is the best player in Argentina national football team?
Lionel Messi of Argentina laughs during the Finalissima 2022 Argentina Training Session at Wembley Stadium on 31 May 2022 in London, England. Photo: Matteo Ciambelli
Source: Getty Images

Argentina is among the most successful international teams, winning several competitions, the most prominent being Copa America. They have an amazing squad, boasting some of the world's best players in top-flight football clubs. On Friday, 11 November, Lionel Saloni, the team manager, announced his 26-man roster that will represent Argentina in the World Cup. Here are the players:

Goalkeepers

Franco Armani

River Plate

Emiliano Martinez

Aston Villa

Geronimo Rulli

Villarreal

Defenders

Juan Foyth

Villarreal

Lisandro Martinez

Manchester United

Nahuel Molina

Atletico Madrid

Gonzalo Montiel

Secilla

Nicolas Otamendi

Benfica

German Pezzella

Real Betis

Cristian Romero

Tottenham

Nicolas Tagliafico

Lyon

Midfielders

Marcos Acuna

Sevilla

Rodrigo De Paul

Atletico Madrid

Enzo Fernandez

Benfica

Alejandro 'Papu' Gomez

Sevilla

Alexis Mac Allister

Brighton

Exequiel Palacios

Bayer Leverkusen

Leandro Paredes

Juventus

Guido Rodriguez

Real Betis

Forwards

Julian Alvarez

Manchester City

Joaquin Correa

Inter Milan

Angel Di Maria

Juventus

Paulo Dybala

AS Roma

Nico Gonzalez

Fiorentina

Lautaro Martinez

Inter Milan

Lionel Messi

PSG

Argentina's World Cup Squad 2022

Who is the captain of Argentina football team 2022?
Argentina squad walks from the dressing room before a match against Brazil on 5 September 2021 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo: Gustavo Pagano
Source: Getty Images

The two-time World Cup champions are hopeful that this is the lucky season they have all been waiting for in the most prestigious soccer tournament. After announcing his 26-man squad, the coach, Scaloni, is confident that he has chosen the best men for the job. He has been with the team since 2018, and through his winning records, he has tactfully moulded the team and is ready for the challenge coming his way.

Argentina has some of the best players in the competition. Some of their stars include:

  • Lionel Messi
  • Angel Di Maria
  • Paulo Dybala
  • Lisandro Martinez

Who will be the captain of Argentina's football team in 2022?

Lionel Messi captains the South American roster. He leads the team into the tournament with amazing players, some of whom he has played with at the club level and in previous international competitions. Some players he has teamed up with include Di Maria and Paulo Dybala.

Is Lionel Messi playing in this World Cup?

The Qatar World Cup is Lionel Messi's fourth attempt to be a World Cup champion. This is the only trophy the star has yet to be crowned in his legendary career, and he has been eluded from it in four different attempts.

Who is the best player in Argentina's national football team?

Who is the best player in Argentina national football team?
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during the South American qualification football match at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on 9 September 2021. Photo: Juan Ignacio
Source: Getty Images

Lionel Messi. He plays as a forward for League 1 club Paris Saint German (PSG). He is Argentina's top scorer, has the most caps and holds the record for the player with the most officially recorded assists in football history.

Why are there 26 players on every World Cup squad?

FIFA, the World Cup's governing body, stated that every team should have a maximum of 26 players, an increase from the regular 23. The managers were allowed to present their rosters which should include three goalkeepers, and they were the only players to participate in the tournament.

What is the average age of Argentina's squad?

Argentina's squad has an average age of 27.7 years. This is the oldest roster in the competition. Their experience is expected to play a huge role in their favour as they face younger teams.

Argentina World Cup squad 2022 list
Argentina lines up during the national anthems before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification match between Argentina and Venezuela at Estadio Alberto J. Armando. Photo: Manuel Cortina
Source: Getty Images

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is here, and millions of fans will be tuned in to catch the experience. Every team, including the Argentina squad, aims to lift the trophy, but with the opponents' competition, it will take work. Find out more about the team here.

READ ALSO: Portugal World Cup Squad 2022: Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing this World Cup?

Sportsbrief recently published an article on Portugal's World Cup squad for 2022. The team is regarded as a struggling squad but is among the strongest in the 22nd edition of the tournament. As Cristiano Ronaldo leads the roster, much is expected from him, judging that it is his final World Cup tournament as he is set to retire from professional football.

Authors
Samuel Lisubila photo
Samuel Lisubila