Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has released a 29-man squad, which is the provisional list for his team’s defense for the Copa America, which is coming up next month in the United States of America.
La Albiceleste won the Copa America in 2021 before going ahead to win this FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 while winning nine of their 10 matches in 2023. This year’s competition is expected to be Scaloni’s final competition before leaving the job as the coach of Argentina.
He has expectedly called up 2022 FIFA World Cup Golden Glove winner Emi Martinez, who will return as the No.1 goalkeeper for La Albiceleste this coming summer, and he will be backed up by River Plate’s Franco Armani with Ajax shotstopper Geronimo Rulli.
Lionel Messi, Angel di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, and Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez all meet the call-up as expected. There is also space for Manchester United Alejandro Garnacho, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Exequiel Palacios, Enzo Fernandez, and Giovani Lo Celso.
Argentina will face Ecuador and Guatemala on June 9 and 14, respectively, in international friendlies ahead of the tournament. The squad will still be reduced to 26 after the organizing body, CONMEBOL, expanded the squad size from 23 to 26.
Three members of the 29-man squad are League champions in three different countries in Europe with Julian Alvarez, Premier League champions with Manchester City; Lautaro Martinez won the Italian league with Inter while Exequiel Palacios won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
The competition will start on June 20 in America, with Argentina in group A alongside Canada, Peru, and Chile.
FULL ARGENTINA SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani, Geronimo Rulli, Emiliano Martinez.
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Leonardo Balerdi, Cristian Romero, German Pezzella, Lucas Martinez, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Marcos Acuna, Nicolas Tagliafico, Valentin Barco.
Midfielders: Guido Rodriguez, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Exequiel Palacios, Enzo Fernandez, Giovani Lo Celso.
Forwards: Angel Di Maria, Valentin Carboni, Lionel Messi, Angel Correa, Alejandro Garnacho, Nicolas Gonzalez, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez.
