Scaloni Names 55-Player Argentina World Cup Squad With Messi, Prestianni

Lionel Scaloni named a 55-player argentina world cup squad this week, and the first cut already sharpened the fight for places. Lionel Messi made the list despite not yet saying he will play, while Paulo Dybala was left out.

Messi, Prestianni and Dybala

The headline additions and omissions tell the story. Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni and Chelsea attacker Alejandro Garnacho are in, while Dybala is out after not featuring for Argentina since 2024.

Prestianni carries the most complicated case in the group. FIFA extended his six-match ban globally last week after UEFA punished him in April for homophobic conduct during Benfica's Champions League game against Real Madrid. Vinicius Jr. also alleged that Prestianni had racially abused him in that match.

If Prestianni stays in the final squad, he would miss Argentina's first two World Cup matches against Algeria and Austria. Jordan are Argentina's third opponent in Group J, so the ban would cover the opening stretch of the tournament rather than just the first game.

Scaloni's younger options

Scaloni's list also leans younger in places. Nicolas Capuldo received his first-ever international call-up at 27, while Zaid Romero and Mateo Pellegrino got their first invitations under the coach.

Garnacho made the cut despite a disappointing spell at club level. Scaloni has long valued his speed as a change-of-pace option on the flank, and that remains enough to keep him in the frame as Argentina trims the squad toward its final 26.

Joaquin Panichelli was left out while recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee, an injury he suffered on international duty with Argentina in March. That leaves another opening in a pool that still has to be narrowed quickly, with two June friendlies at Texas A&M University's Kyle Field and Auburn University's Jordan-Hare Stadium before the real decisions arrive.