Argentina are one of the national teams still delaying a final decision on the 26-player roster that will compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Lionel Scaloni reportedly has concrete plans for the pre-tournament friendlies that will take place in the United States.
“The Argentina national team will bring more than 26 players on the pre-World Cup tour for the friendlies against Iceland and Honduras,” journalist Gaston Edul, an Argentina national team insider for TyC Sports, said Tuesday through his official X account. “More than 30 are going.”
In that group, in addition to the stars who are usually part of every call-up, there will also be several young players who could be options for training sessions and even for the two friendlies. “Capaldo, Aranda, Freitas and Santiago Beltran have been called up… Ignacio Ovando of Rosario Central and Simon Escobar of Velez will also travel with the squad,” Edul added.
Three of them were part of the 55-player preliminary list Argentina submitted to FIFA two weeks ago: Santiago Beltran, goalkeeper for River Plate; Nicolas Capaldo, a right back/defensive midfielder for Hamburger SV; and Tomas Aranda, a forward for Boca Juniors.
Joining them are Joaquin Freitas, a 19-year-old forward who has seen significant playing time with River Plate in recent months, as well as Rosario Central defender Ignacio Ovando and Velez Sarsfield left back Simon Escobar. However, they were not part of the preliminary roster, making them ineligible for the World Cup.
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Argentina’s doubts ahead of the World Cup
Many of the world’s top national teams have already confirmed their squads for the 2026 World Cup in North America, including England, Spain, France, Germany and Brazil. Argentina, however, are still waiting, with FIFA’s deadline set for June 1.
The delay in Lionel Scaloni’s final decision regarding the 26-player World Cup squad is tied to the status of several important players who are dealing with injuries, with their recovery being monitored daily by the coaching staff.
The biggest issue is in defense. Argentina’s two main right backs are currently injured: Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel. That creates uncertainty regarding the final roster construction, especially because of the potential need to include a third player at the position if necessary.
Juan Foyth could have been the ideal candidate for that role, since he can also play as a center back, but his serious Achilles tendon injury ruled him out. That is why Nicolas Capaldo was included on the 55-player list, along with Union Saint-Gilloise’s Kevin Mac Allister.
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Adding to the situation are the injuries suffered by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and center back Cristian Romero, although there are no doubts about their availability for the World Cup. And, on top of that, there is also the muscle fatigue that forced Lionel Messi to leave Inter Miami’s most recent match against Philadelphia Union.
Argentina’s upcoming matches
Before making their FIFA tournament debut against Algeria on June 16, Argentina will play two friendly matches. The first will be on June 6 against Honduras at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, while the second against Iceland will take place three days later at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.
