Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that Lionel Messi will captain the national team at the 2026 World Cup, as he announced his 26-man squad. The 38-year-old will play in his record sixth tournament.

Messi's participation was in doubt after he sustained an injury playing for Inter Miami. He was substituted in the 73rd minute of a recent MLS match, with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring. Scaloni downplayed the injury but said further tests would be conducted.

The squad includes 17 players from the 2022 title-winning team, including Cristian Romero, who has been out with a knee injury. Youngsters Nicolas Paz and Valentin Barco received their first call-ups.

Notably absent are Real Madrid's 18-year-old prodigy Franco Mastantuono, as well as Emiliano Buendia and Paulo Dybala.

Argentina's group includes Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. They will play friendlies against Honduras (June 6) and Iceland (June 9) before the tournament.

Source: www.aljazeera.com