Lionel Messi is set to make his anticipated return to Argentina’s national team for the crucial South American World Cup qualifying matches against Venezuela and Bolivia.
The 37-year-old football icon recently missed several games due to an ankle injury.
Coach Lionel Scaloni revealed his squad on Wednesday, confirming that Argentina will face Venezuela on October 10 and then host Bolivia in Buenos Aires five days later.
Messi’s absence in the last two rounds was due to an injury sustained during the Copa América final against Colombia, where Argentina triumphed with a 1-0 victory.
Currently, Argentina leads the South American qualifying standings with 18 points, closely followed by Colombia with 16 points and Uruguay at 15 points. The top six teams will secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup, while the seventh-placed team will enter an international playoff for a chance to qualify.
Argentina October 2024 squad
Goalkeepers: Walter Benítez (PSV Eindhoven), Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid)
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Germán Pezzella (River Plate), Marcos Acuña (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon)
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Nicolás Paz (Como), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo de Paul (Atletico Madrid), Valentín Carboni (Olympique Marseille)
Strikers: Thiago Almada (Botafogo), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolás González (Juventus), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Julián Álvarez (Atletico Madrid), Paulo Dybala (Roma), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)
