Why were they left out of Argentina’s pre-list for the 2026 World Cup?

Home Sport Why were they left out of Argentina’s pre-list for the 2026 World Cup?
Sport
May 18, 2026May 18, 2026By Mario Vásquez
Why were they left out of Argentina’s pre-list for the 2026 World Cup?

During the night of last Sunday, May 17, the Argentine technical director Lionel Scaloni shared the albiceleste prelist for the 2026 World Cupin which Argentina will try to defend the title it won in the Qatar 2022 edition against the team of Francein one of the best World Cup finals in recent history.

However, when Argentina lands in the territory of the USA To defend the title won in December 2022, there will be two absent names that will attract a lot of attention: Ángel Di María and Paulo Dybalawho are two of the six current world champions who will not be at this year’s World Cup event.

The other four Qatar 2022 champions who will not be with the Albiceleste in the 2026 World Cup are Franco Armani (retirement from the national team after the 2024 Copa América), Alexander “the Papu” Gomez (removed from the selection due to a doping sanction), John Foyth (absent due to injury) and Angel Correa (absent due to football decisions).

Despite this, the absence of Di María and Dybala in the pre-list of 55 players given by coach Lionel Scaloni shook to Argentine soccer, especially because the forward of the Rome32, made clear at the end of April his desire to be part of the argentine national team in a World Cup, along with Lionel Messi.

Dybala and Di María: Out of the pre-list

According to what was stated by the American television network CNN, the rosarino Ángel Di María, who stood out at Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Benficawill not be in the 2026 World Cup because he decided so, since he put an end to his participation in the Albiceleste after winning the Copa América 2024.

During an interview in August 2024, the winger who currently plays for Club Atlético Central Rosary He said that there was no anger or other ulterior motives, but that he simply wanted to retire from the national team at the top, in his own way and at his own time. “I dreamed of doing it with another qualification under my arm and I did it,” he argued.the noodle”.

Read more about CS Herediano and Real Estelí: The first Central American champions of Clausura 2026

However, in the case of Paulo Dybala, the injuriesthe lack of continuity and the appearance of new talents explain the absence of a footballer who once seemed destined to be the heir native of Lionel Messi. Therefore, despite expressing his desire to be in the 2026 World Cup, “la Joya” was no longer taken into account.

For years, the cordoban It was the different talent, the creative lefty, the footballer capable of unbalancing matches with a touch and the future “10” of the Argentine team. Unfortunately for him, one of the Argentine soccer players further talented players of the last decade have been left out of what will surely be their last World Cup.

The pre-list of those summoned by Scaloni

  1. Emiliano Martínez – Aston Villa
  2. Gerónimo Rulli – Olympique de Marseille
  3. Juan Musso – Atlético de Madrid
  4. Walter Benitez – Crystal Palace FC
  5. Facundo Cambeses – Racing Club
  6. Santiago Beltran – River Plate
  7. Agustín Giay – Palmeiras
  8. Gonzalo Montiel – River Plate
  9. Nahuel Molina – Atlético de Madrid
  10. Nicolás Capaldo – Hamburg SV
  11. Kevin Mac Allister – Union Saint Gilloise
  12. Lucas Martínez Quarta – River Plate
  13. Marcos Senesi – Bournemouth
  14. Lisandro Martínez – Manchester United
  15. Nicolás Otamendi – SL Benfica
  16. Germán Pezzella – River Plate
  17. Leonardo Balerdi – Olympique de Marseille
  18. Cristian Romero – Tottenhman Hotspur
  19. Lautaro Di Lollo – Boca Juniors
  20. Zaid Romero – Getafe CF
  21. Facundo Medina – Olympique de Marseille
  22. Marcos Acuña – River Plate
  23. Nicolás Tagliafico – Olympique Lyonnais
  24. Gabriel Rojas – Racing Club
  25. Máximo Perrone – Calcio Como 1907
  26. Leandro Paredes – Boca Juniors
  27. Guido Rodríguez – Valencia CF
  28. Aníbal Moreno – River Plate
  29. Milton Delgado – Boca Juniors
  30. Alan Varela – FC Porto
  31. Ezequiel Fernández – Bayer Leverkusen
  32. Rodrigo De Paul – Inter Miami
  33. Exequiel Palacios – Bayer Leverkusen
  34. Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea
  35. Alexis Mac Allister – Liverpool
  36. Giovani Lo Celso – Real Betis Balompié
  37. Nicolas Dominguez – Nottingham Forest
  38. Emiliano Buendía – Aston Villa
  39. Valentin Barco – Strasbourg Racing Club
  40. Lionel Messi – Inter Miami
  41. Nicolás Paz – Calcio Como 1907
  42. Franco Mastantuono – Real Madrid
  43. Thiago Almada – Atlético de Madrid
  44. Tomás Aranda – Boca Juniors
  45. Nicolás González – Atlético de Madrid
  46. Alejandro Garnacho – Chelsea
  47. Giuliano Simeone – Atlético de Madrid
  48. Matías Soulé – AS Roma
  49. Claudio Echeverri – Girona Football Club
  50. Gianluca Prestianni – SL Benfica
  51. Santiago Castro – Bologna FC
  52. Lautaro Martínez – Inter Milan
  53. José Manuel López – Palmeiras
  54. Julián Álvarez – Atlético de Madrid
  55. Mateo Pellegrino – Parma Calcio

Source