Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni is taking as much time as possible to carefully select his squad for the 2026 World Cup. He has some massive decisions to make, and a couple of high-profile absentees have been leaked.
The reigning world champions will almost certainly take the likes of Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister to the United States, Mexico and Canada-hosted tournament. The level of talent at Scaloni's disposal is incredible.
That's shown by two surprising names who have reportedly missed out on a place in the 26-man squad. They join the likes of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Joao Pedro as players who were expected to go to the World Cup, but will instead have to watch on from home.
Argentina Snub Two Young Stars
Argentina captain Lionel Messi with the World Cup trophy and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo
Argentina captain Lionel Messi with the World Cup trophy and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo
The first name to be reported as missing out was new Chelsea signing Valentin Barco. The young defender left Brighton to join the Blues' sister club Strasbourg, but is reportedly moving to Stamford Bridge this summer.
He would've been hoping to return to England with some World Cup experience under his belt, but German Garcia Grova os TyC Sports has reported the player's entourage are under the impression he won't be on the plane with Messi and Co.
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England, Spain and France feature in the top 10.
"We still have some doubts that we’ll resolve in the coming days," were Scaloni's words when discussing the length of time he's taking to confirm his squad list. Argentina are the last big nation to submit their 26-man roster, but the final list will be in by the end of the week.
Another man who looks very unlikely to be included is Real Madrid starlet, Franco Mastantuono. The 18-year-old is a highly exciting prospect who has played 35 senior games for Los Blancos. The main issue he may have encountered is that he likes to occupy the same spaces as Messi.
There were some concerns for his long-term fitness earlier in the season as Mastantuono suffered from publagia, an issue that also plagued Lamine Yamal and Cole Palmer. However, he has since recovered and featured in six of Real Madrid's last seven league matches of the season. The decision is said to be purely football-related.
Concerns Over Lionel Messi's Fitness For World Cup
Lionel Messi
Concerns across Argentina were sparked when Messi, the nation's main talisman, was forced off early in Inter Miami's recent 6-4 victory over Philadelphia Union. The greatest player of all time reportedly suffered muscle fatigue, just a few weeks before the World Cup kicks off.
"Obviously we would have preferred that nothing had happened," Scaloni told Argentine TV channel DSports. "Now one has to wait and see how it evolves and above all the new tests they are going to conduct in order to see if it confirms their original diagnosis."
While the manager was quick to play down any worries that Messi wouldn't be fit in time for the opening game against Algeria, Inter Miami's statement, which said 'the timeline for his return to physical activity will depend on his clinical and functional progress,' was less convincing.
Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 28-05-26.