Lionel Messi will captain defending champions Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, confirming his place in a sixth edition of the tournament — a milestone matched only by Cristiano Ronaldo among male players.

Messi, 38, was included in coach Lionel Scaloni's 26-man squad announced on Thursday. The Inter Miami forward holds the all-time record for World Cup appearances with 26 matches, and that tally will only grow as Argentina prepare to defend the title they won in Qatar in 2022, beating France 4-3 in a memorable final.

British-based players feature prominently

Five players from English clubs have been selected. Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who claimed the Golden Glove in 2022, earns his place once again, joined by Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez and Tottenham defender Cristian Romero at the back.

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez complete the British-based contingent. Ronaldo, 41, will also appear in a sixth World Cup with Portugal this summer.

Group stage schedule

Argentina are drawn in Group J and open their campaign on Tuesday, 17 June against Algeria in Kansas City. They then face Austria in Dallas on 22 June before concluding the group stage against Jordan in Dallas on 28 June. The tournament is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Messi's fitness and milestones

Messi was substituted during Inter Miami's most recent MLS fixture on Monday, though his club confirmed he had not suffered an injury — describing the issue as muscle fatigue in his left hamstring. Argentina face Honduras on 6 June in Texas and Iceland on 9 June in Alabama in pre-tournament friendlies. Should Messi feature in both, he will reach 200 appearances for his country, having already made 198.

Full Argentina squad

Goalkeepers: Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa).

Defenders: Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid).

Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (River Plate), Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Giovani lo Celso (Real Betis), Ezequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea).

Forwards: Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Nico Paz (Como), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan).