Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Alexis Mac Allister, Paulo Dybala in Argentina World Cup qualifying list

By
Roy Nemer
-
81

Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Paulo Dybala and many top names have been included in the Argentina squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers.

The road to the 2022 World Cup kicks off this month and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has announced his squad for the two games. The two time world champions will play their first match against Ecuador on March 26 at La Bombonera while playing their second match on March 31 in La Paz.

Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton and Nicolas Gonzalez of Stuttgart are the surprise call-ups. Here’s the European based team:

Goalkeeper:
Juan Musso (Udinese, Italy)

Defenders:
Nehuen Perez (FC Famalicao, Portugal)
Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City, England)
Renzo Saravia (Internacional, Brazil)
German Pezzella (Fiorentina, Italy)
Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax, Netherlands)
Leonardo Balerdi (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)

Midfielders:
Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis, Spain)
Roberto Pereyra (Watford, England)
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
Rodrigo De Paul (Udinese, Italy)
Marcos Acuna (Sporting, Portugal)
Leandro Paredes (PSG, France)
Nicolas Dominguez (Bologna, Italy)
Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham, England)

Forwards:
Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton, England)
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, Spain)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City, England)
Lucas Ocampos (Sevilla, Spain)
Lucas Alario (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
Nicolas Gonzalez (Stuttgart, Germany)
Paulo Dybala (Juventus, Italy)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter, Italy)

Lionel Scaloni went with a similar team which finished third in last year’s Copa America. Once more, no Mauro Icardi as the PSG striker is behind in the pecking order. The South American based players will be announced at a later date.

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81 Comments

  1. Ricardo Centurion and Thiago Almada should be in the national team. We need these magicians to help unlock defences. Pls Gonzalo, make a case for them. I’m at a loss why Centurion is being ignored.

  2. Why is balerdi on that List? He didn‘t play a single game for Dortmund.

    Nicolas González ist playing in the 2nd german League and he‘s not even a regular starter.

    Alario is a bench warmer in germany and soo slow.

    • balerdi has huge potential so its good to integrate him .im sure he will start sooner rather than later for dortmund.

      nico gonzalez is a regular he was injured not so long ago so maybe tats y u have noticed his absence or presence on the bench he is a great team player and an amazing crosser he is an impact player off the bench

      alario is good player not great ofc largely as a backup for volland but tat wud be mainly down to volland being a better player than alario .alario similar to gonzalez is an impact player n is usefull offf the bench thanks to his excellent header ability and is great in holding the ball and distributing it to the wings n also a great goal poacher

  3. Have all u donkeys praying for icardi ever actually seen him play its dreadful mans only there for tap ins nothing else. Id rather have a cone playing up top, that shit would still prolly move more than icardi. Alario is 1000 times better player and teammate Than him plus theres soo many other options I would legit prefer that dead horse tevez back over icardi

  4. Battaglia should get a chance . I think he is better than guido. Otherwise team is ok.
    Ocampos messi and lautaro should start with paredes, de paul and palacios in the mid field.

  5. Lucas Alario is out for a month because of dislocated shoulder. That might open up doors for either Benedetto or additional striker from Argentine Primera Liga. Feel sorry for Alario though. He seemed to gel well with the NT.

  6. Well deserved list, Scaloni can’t bring all the stars together, however he did his best to make a selection although our feeling says he did missed few ‘on fire’ players i.e Papu Gomez, Bundia and Licha,

    One thing as always, Arg have abundant talented players but the most up list criteria to be in the N/T is like or dislike ‘x’ factor and not just talented, with almost subjective judgement by AFA and coach. That’s why N/T highly needs a tough minded coach such as Menotti and Sabella to gain the success

  7. I assume he chose Roberto perrerya just for positivity in the dressing room since I can’t find any other proper reason……I hv heard about him that he dances well and is very funny.
    Glad for the selection of Nico Gonzalez.
    I hope Perez and quarta somehow can play just like how pavard played for France and suddenly became world class from nobody.
    We desperately need something like that in defence.

  8. Good list, almost all the players that need and deserve to be there are actually there. Although no list is complete with a handful of head scratchers such as Balerdi and Pereyra. Now I get the fact that Scaloni wants to help Balerdi develop since he’s obviously not doing so in Broussia but I am totally clueless about Pereyra’s inclusion.
    Another head scratcher is the continued exclusion of Licha Martinez, something is definitely amiss there and it has nothing to do with football.
    I really hope down the line that Benitez, C.Romero, Ascacibar, Buendia and A.Correa all get a look in because they’d add alot to the team.

    • true man it must be disheartening for players like buendia,benitez who are doing everything right for their club but aint recognised. also even c.romero must be gutted to see balerdi considered over him on the list

  9. here we are watching our player lo celso’s spurs getting thrashed while on the other hand atalanta are thrashing valencia 2-6 at half time thanks to alejandro gomez and palomino . why are our selectors this ignorant calling up clowns like pereyra instead of these guys who are doing miracles at a club which was considered mid table club

  11. We need specialized “”Coming off the bench and changing the game , if we are chasing a match” type players whose workrate is like a horse and brings in that intensity. Players like Alario has that Quality and Lamela is a master of that.Too Bad he is not fit always disrupts a coach’s plan. I hope buendia and nico gonzalez can build in that skill in them. Burndia or lamela should have been in place of parreyra.. he is shit.

    anyway good selection though.

    • > We need specialized “”Coming off the bench and changing the game , if we are chasing a match” type players whose

      May i introduce you to a fella named Icardi. He’s the epitome.

  12. Picking Alario ahead of Icardi is completely injustice, B grade striker selected ahead of world class striker reason Argentina Team Selection laughing in world football

  13. Pareyra is scaloni roommate and excels on coach bed, I was 100% sure for pareyra call up it’s not surprising at all like many commenting

  17. Battaglia didn’t make it? It’s a gud list with some fine youngsters, Some young defenders too,Otamendis time will soon be up. Glad Di Maria is not there.

    Exciting to know that Musso is preferred over Marchesin.

  19. remember guys, Messi will miss the first match against Ecuador due to the red card against Chile. We’ll probably see a 4-4-2 with Kun and Lautaro up top.

  20. Like the list a lot. The selection is a mix of youth, experience, energy and skill. It still breaks my heart that Emi Buendia isnt on the list. What more must he do to get the recognition he deserves – win the Premier League with a leaky second-division defense?

      • How many of the mid-fielders selected here ‘score goals’ my friend ? Almost all of them play with better peers by their side than Emi. My point was if Emi can play that well in Norwich City he must be given a chance to play with more illustrious peers in the NT and to show what he’s got.

  21. I wonder if our Italy based players (Pezella, Lautaro, Musso, Dybala, Dominguez and De Paul) will travel at all or will be forced to be quarantined.

  23. We see a clear tendency of including younger players which is very different from most of previous coaches we had, something I personally welcome.

  24. Great selection! including balerdi right decision but where is montiel, christian romero and why pereyra

  26. the main positive from this list is among defenders the only 30+ is otamendi
    no 30+ players in the midfield department
    in forward obviously with the exception of messi and kun

  27. This is really exciting squad love
    The Including those youngsters perez
    Balerdi nico Dominguez nico Gonzalez
    Alexis MacAllister palacios gio lo celso
    100% EMI Buendía over peryer
    This is big step going forward
    Leo balerdi is hell of talant so please
    Don’t surprise his inclusion especially
    When the nt has been lacked real good
    Center halfs recently years .
    I said before scaloni love
    Very tall players that is the main reason
    He left lich Martinez and Ascacibar.

    • no doubting balerdi’s talent but romero deserved the call up.
      ascacibar maybe because he hasnt proved it yet at the top level with hertha
      licha martinez maybe because ajax didnt release him i suppose or similar to ascacibar hasnt proved it again the big teams

      • Mate look scaloni’s players profile
        80% of them are tall players
        Especially defenders and midfielders
        That is the is only reason I think
        He Excluded lich Martinez and Ascacibar.
        I agreed Romero and marcos senesi
        Both deserves to be in the squad
        But they will soon there maybe
        After copa America where I think
        Otamendi’s cycle will finsh.

  28. its predictable that the superliga players will be andrada and armani as goalkeys
    for right back montiel is a given but i would love to see marcelo herrera n de la fuente as third choice but unfortunately it will be buffarini
    for left back spot im afriad it will be milton casco but i would like claudio bravo to be added
    for midfielders i certainly dont want to see enzo perez n chances are most likely he will be ignored given we already have quality in expierience and future talents in the department
    for forwards i would love to see almada,gaich called up but chances are less because the forward department is literally full to the brim

  29. Good list with few head scratchers like Pereyra and Belerdi,

    Lamela, Di Maria (everyones favorite), A Gomez, A Correa, and Icardi are the obvious misses.

    I can ‘effin wait to see trio of Agüero – Dybala – Messi lead the attack again

    • Lamela?
      Are you really seriously about this guy
      First he can’t even train regularly
      Second better players are available
      Di Maria I said enough of him
      I’m glad that scaloni realized
      Argentina have much better options
      Than to be stack players like him.

      • Lamela is made of glass but I keep hoping he’ll go through period injury free. For talent alone, he’s slaps the shit out of most current alternatives.

        You and I will always disagree with Di maria :).

          • > Lamela? Are you really seriously about this guy. First he can’t even train regularly. Second better players are available

            Without considering injury proneness, who are the better players?

            Lo Cels is one..who else?

      • Where is your world class Lanzini? Lamela without injuries would be close to world class, Lanzini never was, is and will close to this level. Lamela’s 14/15, 15/16 seasons were great, then his injury saga started and he played since then only 3000 minutes in PL, but his contribution still good overall in 12000 minutes 33 goals 47!!! assists, tracks back, works as a worhorse, just look him vs Lepzig how hard will he fight.

          • Csabalala
            You re f…king coward brainless
            You re the most contradicting
            Person I have seen this blog
            I never said lanzini was world class
            If I remember correctly but yes I said
            He is much better player than lamela
            And I still insist that but sadly lanzini
            Had ACL and it’s had to be same player
            As it was plus he had shoulder injury
            For long period too. his team are chokers
            For all that reason he lost his confidence
            I feel the man unlike you who enjoys
            Every bit of Argentina players situation.
            Csabalala how come you don’t admit
            You were wrong about lo celso l Martinez
            Angel Correa dybala for been bench warmers if I was you I will be ashamed
            To come here when you know
            You have been wrong time and time again.
            Take this now Argentina have better
            Midfielders than Brazil and very soon
            Will have better defenders too
            Please don’t come here say we us
            When everyone here knows that you
            Troll.

  30. Don’t get the inclusion of Balerdi (Romero or Licha Martinez instead) and Pereyra (Angel Correa or Buendia instead would have been better) but overall no major surprises. Expect Montiel, Andrada and Armani from the local league. Hopefully not Casco.

  32. i am pretty much ok with the list but seriously confused why balerdi and pereyra were chosen over romero and buendia and disappointed to see rulli and most importantly benitez ignored again papu gomez also sadly.
    i tnk battaglia and ascacibar cud have been considered

  33. Juan Foyth should have been in the list irrespective of his game time,how well he played when Sarvia struggled in Copa.That is confidence killer for Foyth.Both Mourinho and Scaloni underestimating him.I do not know what Pereya brings might be jollyness in dressing room or Scaloni is addicted to him.Battaglia should be in place of Guido Rodriguez.

    • I disagree, if a player hardly plays I don’t think he should be included. This is Argentina National Team, not Luxembourg or Surinam with all due respect to those countries. Besides, Foyth is carrying a small injury anyway.

  34. A lot of unproven players that get micro minutes Of playing time from their clubs.
    But the core is there to build off of and we have to remember South America Qualifiers are more of a rugby match than a football game on the road where the pitches are in intentionally horrible conditions. We need players like Acuña and Rodriquez whom play with huevo because it comes down to heart over skill in such matches!
    One player I’ve been more excited to watch in the upcoming qualifiers will be Ocampos from Sevilla #Ballin
    Y como Siempre.. Vamos Argentina

  35. not a lot of complaints. Was expecting Romero but looks like he choose Perez and Balerdi over that. I get the first one, not the second. Pereyra is a headscratcher. If he saw a need for a profile like that surprising no buendia. Bataglia vs guido was very close for me. i can assume guido for continuity here. did not really see a chance for ascacibar. generally i am ok with the foreign list.

    • pereyra maybe because of expierience n he has been playing regularly for watford but agreed buendia over him wud have been amazing. ascacibar might have been ignored because of his inability to hit the ground running at hertha yet

      • honestly mate, i think its because he just does not appear to like that height profile. ascacibars alternates – paredes, guido, bataglia, even depaul (since he is played deeper) definitely have that in common. i think he also considers set piece offense and defense and not just ground play and CM role there where santiago is a liability. its my guess based on his choices in that role.

  36. Its a pretty good list of European players from Scaloni. Now excited to see the list of home grown players to be added to the squad. Hopefully the WCQ matches are on as scheduled and that European players are allowed to play.

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