The Argentine national team around superstar Lionel Messi continues to chase world championship title number three. The upcoming World Cup in Qatar offers the opportunity to do so. With which squad and coaching and support team does Lionel Scaloni plan to achieve this goal? SPOX show you.
In the summer of 2021, Lionel Messi finally won his first major title with the Argentine national team, followed the next year by a 3-0 win against European champions Italy in the Finalissima. However, the really big success, the World Cup, is still missing in the national team career of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner. He came close in 2014 but lost 1-0 to Germany in the final with Argentina.
But now, with the World Cup in Qatar, the 35-year-old has his next chance to lift the most prestigious trophy a national team can lift. “We know we’re going to fight for victory, but we’re not a priori champions like we Argentinians think,” said Messi. Argentina has won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986.
The tournament starts on November 20th. Argentina, who are in a group with Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland, get into action on November 22nd. The game starts against Saudi Arabia.
Which 26 players has Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni nominated for the World Cup, what shirt number do they wear? And who makes up the coaching and support team? SPOX provides you with the information.
Argentina – Official squad for the 2022 World Cup: players, shirt numbers, coaches and staff
Messi is of course the heart of the Albiceleste, but he doesn’t make it very far without help either. And he gets enough of that in the form of stars like Lautaro Martínez, Paulo Dybala or Ángel Di María.
However, the Argentines suffered a setback in relation to the 26-man squad: Tottenham Hotspur’s Giovani Lo Celso missed the World Cup through injury with a torn muscle. Atletico Madrid’s Ángel Correa, on the other hand, was uninjured. With Exequiel Palacios from Bayer Leverkusen, a Bundesliga club has also made it into the Argentinian squad.
Argentina – Official squad for the 2022 World Cup: players, shirt number
| position | player | association | shirt number |
| goalkeeper | Emiliano Martinez | AstonVilla | 23 |
| Franco Armani | Riverplate | 1 | |
| Geronimo Rulli | Villarreal FC | 12 | |
| defense | Gonzalo Montiel | FC Seville | 4 |
| Nahuel Molina | Atlético Madrid | 26 | |
| German Pezzella | Betis Seville | 6 | |
| Christian Romero | Tottenham Hotspur | 13 | |
| Nicolas Otamendi | Benfica Lisbon | 19 | |
| Lisandro Martinez | Manchester United | 16 | |
| Juan Foyth | Villarreal FC | 2 | |
| Nicolas Tagliafico | Olympique Lyon | 3 | |
| Marcos Acuna | FC Seville | 8th | |
| Midfield/Forward | Leandro Parédes | Juventus | 5 |
| Guido Rodriguez | Betis Seville | 18 | |
| Enzo Fernández | Benfica Lisbon | 24 | |
| Rodrigo DePaul | Atlético Madrid | 7 | |
| Exquiel Palacios | Bayer Leverkusen | 14 | |
| Alejandro Gomez | FC Seville | 20 | |
| Alexis MacAllister | Brighton & Hove Albion | 15 | |
| Paulo Dybala | AS Roma | 21 | |
| Lionel Messi | Paris St Germain | 10 | |
| Angel Di Maria | Juventus | 11 | |
| Nicholas Gonzalez | AC Fiorentina | 25 | |
| Joaquin Correa | Inter Milan | 17 | |
| Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan | 22 | |
| Julian Alvarez | Manchester City | 9 | |
Argentina – Official squad for the 2022 World Cup: coaches and staff
| Surname | function |
| Lionel Scaloni | Trainer |
| Pablo Aimar | assistant coach |
| Walter Samuel | assistant coach |
| Roberto Ayala | assistant coach |
| Martin Tocalli | goalkeeping coach |
| Rodrigo Barrios | fitness trainer |
| Louis Martin | fitness trainer |
| Matias Manna | Video Analyst |
| Cesar Menotti | Manager |
| Homero d’Agostino | physician |
World Cup 2022 – Group C: The game plan
After the mandatory surrender against Saudi Arabia on November 22, Argentina continue their group stage with a game against Mexico on November 26 before taking on Poland and ex-Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski on November 30.
| date | time | Team A | Team B |
| 22nd of November | 11 clock | Argentina | Saudi Arabia |
| 22nd of November | 17 o’clock | Mexico | Poland |
| November 26th | 14 o’clock | Poland | Saudi Arabia |
| November 26th | 8 p.m | Argentina | Mexico |
| 30th of November | 8 p.m | Saudi Arabia | Mexico |
| 30th of November | 8 p.m | Poland | Argentina |