Lionel Messi has been named in Argentina’s preliminary World Cup squad despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding his participation in the tournament.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni unveiled a 55-man provisional list on Monday, with the Inter Miami superstar once again at the centre of attention as speculation continues over whether the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will feature at what could become his final World Cup.
Messi has yet to publicly confirm his availability for the competition, but his inclusion will provide hope to Argentina supporters dreaming of another title run with their iconic captain leading the way.
Scaloni’s squad also included Tottenham defender Cristian Romero despite the centre-back currently being sidelined through injury.
Romero is not expected to play again for Spurs this season, but Argentina’s coaching staff appear willing to give the defender every opportunity to recover in time for the tournament.
Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho also earned a place in the preliminary selection after another impressive campaign at club level, continuing his rise as one of Argentina’s brightest young attacking talents.
One of the more controversial inclusions was Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni.
The teenager was recently handed a six-match UEFA ban for homophobic conduct, but Scaloni still selected him in the extended squad.
Should Prestianni survive the final cut, the suspension would rule him out of Argentina’s opening two World Cup fixtures against Algeria and Austria.
The omission of Paulo Dybala, however, is likely to generate significant discussion across Argentina.
The Roma forward, who has earned 40 international caps, was left out entirely despite his experience and technical quality.
Dybala has not featured for the national team since 2024, and his absence from the provisional squad appears to signal that Scaloni is now fully focused on a younger generation heading into the tournament.
Argentina enter the World Cup carrying huge expectations after their recent international successes, and attention will now turn toward the final squad selection in the coming weeks.
But above all, the biggest question remains the same.
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