The South American powerhouse has announced its 27-man roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia, with the return of a certain superstar stealing the headlines. The team currently sits atop the CONMEBOL standings with 18 points from eight matches, having secured a convincing 3-0 win over Chile and a narrow 2-1 loss to Colombia in the previous window.
Next, the team will travel to face sixth-place Venezuela on October 10, before hosting eighth-place Bolivia on October 15. The top six teams from CONMEBOL will secure direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup, while the seventh-place team will compete in an interconfederation playoff for a chance to clinch a spot.
The team’s captain, who has been out of action since suffering an ankle injury in the Copa América final on July 14, makes his long-awaited return to international duty. He spent two months on the sidelines, missing the September international window, but has since regained his form, playing in every game for his club team since September 14.
However, the team will be without two key players: Ángel Di María, who announced his retirement from international football after the Copa América, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. The latter received a two-match suspension from FIFA’s disciplinary committee for violating the code of conduct and “principles of fair play” during the team’s recent matches.
The team’s star player, who has scored an impressive 15 goals in 16 league matches this season, will be looking to make an impact in the upcoming qualifiers. The full squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Gerónimo Rulli, Walter Benítez, Juan Musso
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi, Germán Pezzella, Leonardo Balerdi, Marcos Acuña, Nicolás Tagliafico
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernández, Giovani Lo Celso, Thiago Almada, Guido Rodríguez, Nico Paz
Forwards: Nicolas Gonzalez, Lautaro Martínez, Alejandro Garnacho, Julián Álvarez, Valentin Carboni, Paulo Dybala, Lionel Messi
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