Lionel Messi has made his return to the Argentina national team ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia, as announced by the Argentine Football Association.
After missing the Albiceleste’s September qualifiers against Chile and Colombia due to an ankle injury, the 37-year-old forward has since resumed playing for his club, Inter Miami. His presence is expected to bolster the team’s chances as they aim to secure their spot in the upcoming World Cup.
Argentina will face Venezuela away on October 10, followed by a home match against Bolivia in Buenos Aires five days later. Currently, the reigning World Cup and Copa America champions sit atop the 10-team South American group with 18 points from eight matches, holding a two-point lead over second-placed Colombia.
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As the qualifiers progress, the top six teams will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The seventh-placed team will have an opportunity to advance through an intercontinental playoff.
The Argentina squad for the upcoming matches includes:
Goalkeepers:
- Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven)
- Geronimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille)
- Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid)
Defenders:
- Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla)
- Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid)
- Cristian Romero (Tottenham)
- German Pezzella (River Plate)
- Marcos Acuna (River Plate)
- Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille)
- Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica)
- Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United)
- Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon)
Midfielders:
- Leandro Paredes (Roma)
- Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
- Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)
- Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis)
- Nicolas Paz (Como)
- Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Rodrigo de Paul (Atletico Madrid)
- Valentin Carboni (Olympique Marseille)
- Thiago Almada (Botafogo)
Forwards:
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
- Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus)
- Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
- Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid)
- Paulo Dybala (Roma)
- Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
With Messi back in the squad, Argentina aims to continue their strong form in the qualifiers as they pursue their goal of World Cup qualification.
