Hugo Filipe Martins
Prestianni would need to serve a two-match suspension if called up — Reuters/Pedro Nunes
Argentina officially unveiled its preliminary 55-man squad for the 2026 World Cup on Monday, featuring up to 10 players currently active in LaLiga EA Sports, including Franco Mastantuono (18).
Head coach Lionel Scaloni released the initial draft with the aim of defending Argentina’s title at the 2026 tournament. This extensive list will be narrowed down significantly in the coming weeks, leaving only 26 players for the final squad.
Despite the confirmed FIFA sanction for Gianluca Prestianni, Scaloni has included the Benfica winger, who still stands a chance to feature in the competition.
Regarding players from Spanish football, Atlético Madrid dominates with six representatives: Musso, Nahuel, Julián, Almada, Nico, and Giuliano. Alongside the aforementioned Mastantuono — who has seen limited minutes under Arbeloa recently — the defense includes Getafe’s Romero, while midfielders Lo Celso (Real Betis) and Guido (Valencia) are also present.
**Argentina’s Preliminary Squad**
**Goalkeepers:** Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Rulli (Marseille), Juan Musso (Atlético Madrid), Walter Benítez (Crystal Palace), Facundo Cambeses (Racing Club), Santiago Beltran (River Plate)
**Defenders:** Agustín Giay (Palmeiras), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid), Nicolás Capaldo (Hamburg SV), Kevin Mac Allister (Union Saint Gilloise), Lucas Martínez Quarta (River Plate), Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Germán Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Lautaro Di Lollo (Boca Juniors), Zaid Romero (Getafe), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Marcos Acuña (River Plate), Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon), Gabriel Rojas (Racing Club)
**Midfielders:** Máximo Perrone (Como), Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Guido Rodríguez (Valencia), Aníbal Moreno (River Plate), Milton Delgado (Boca Juniors), Alan Varela (Porto), Ezequiel Fernández (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Nicolás Domínguez (Nottingham Forest), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis)
**Forwards:** Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa), Valentín Barco (Strasbourg), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolás Paz (Como), Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atlético Madrid), Tomás Aranda (Boca Juniors), Nicolás González (Atlético Madrid), Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea), Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid), Matías Soulé (AS Roma), Claudio Echeverri (Girona), Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica), Santiago Castro (Bologna), Lautaro Martínez (Inter), José Manuel López (Palmeiras), Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid), Mateo Pellegrino (Parma Calcio)
**Mentions:** Football, Gianluca Prestianni, Argentina, Benfica, World Cup, Argentina, LaLiga EA Sports, Lionel Scaloni