Messi to captain Argentina at World Cup as Scaloni plays down injury fears
Lionel Messi has been appointed captain of Argentina for the 2026 World Cup, despite concerns over an injury. National coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed Messi's inclusion in the 26-man squad, which features many players from the previous World Cup victory. Argentina will begin their World Cup campaign against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City.
- ▪Lionel Messi will captain Argentina at the 2026 World Cup despite recent injury concerns.
- ▪Messi's injury was diagnosed as muscle fatigue in his left hamstring after a recent MLS match.
- ▪Argentina's squad includes 17 players from their 2022 World Cup winning team.
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Sport|World Cup 2026Messi to captain Argentina at World Cup as Scaloni plays down injury fearsLionel Messi’s World Cup role was thrown into doubt by injury, but Argentina quell fears by appointing him captain.ListenListen (5 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoArgentina's Lionel Messi kisses the trophy as he celebrates winning the World Cup at Qatar 2022 [Hannah Mckay/Reuters]By Al Jazeera staff and AFPPublished On 29 May 202629 May 2026Lionel Messi will captain Argentina’s World Cup defence at the 2026 edition, national coach Lionel Scaloni announced as he unveiled his 26-man squad.Messi had not previously confirmed he would play in what will be the 38-year-old’s record-breaking sixth…
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