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Havana, May 29 (RHC) – Argentina arrives at the World Cup in Mexico, Canada, and the United States with a renewed squad that includes nine debutants who, according to the coaches, will inject more vigor into the current world champion.
Beyond the core of the starting eleven, coach Lionel Scaloni’s official squad reflects the necessary generational shift, and the high performances of the season in Europe and the Americas have finalized a roster that will seek to defend its title.
Among the players ready to make their mark for the first time on the world stage are Nicolás “Nico” Paz, Nicolás González, Giuliano Simeone, José Manuel “Flaco” López, Valentín Barco, Leonardo Balerdi, Facundo Medina, and Atlético de Madrid goalkeeper Juan Musso.
Thus, the “Albiceleste” is comprised of a group of players ranging in age from 21 (“Nico” Paz, Barco, and Simeone at 23) to 39 (Messi, Otamendi at 38, and “Dibu” at 34), combining the dynamism of youth with the wisdom of experience.
Scaloni’s squad, featuring 17 returning players from the Qatar 2022 World Cup, has a very similar average age for this tournament to the one that played in Qatar, according to the Argentine news agency Noticias Argentinas.
Four years ago, the Argentine team had an average age of 28.53 years, and for this tournament in Mexico, Canada, and the United States, it’s 28.69 years.
The most veteran player is Messi, who will be playing in his sixth World Cup after having been part of the squads in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022. Close behind is Nicolás Otamendi, who enters the World Cup at 38 years old.
The “Albiceleste” will debut against Algeria on Tuesday the 16th at Kansas City Stadium. The second match in Group J will be on Monday the 22nd against Austria at Dallas Stadium, and a week later, at the same venue, they will finish the qualifying round against Jordan.
Here is the list of the 26 players for the Argentine National Team:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez, Gerónimo Rulli, and Juan Musso.
Defenders: Nahuel Molina, Cristian “Cuti” Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolás Tagliafico, Gonzalo Montiel, Leonardo Balerdi, Lisandro Martínez, and Facundo Medina.
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández, Exequiel Palacios, Leandro Paredes, Valentín Barco, Giovanni Lo Celso, Giuliano Simeone, and Nicolás González.
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Julián Álvarez, Thiago Almada, José Manuel López, Nicolás Paz, and Lautaro Martínez.
