Argentina team announced for Finalissima vs. Italy, Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala included

By
Roy Nemer
-
73

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni has announced his list of players for the Finalissima match against Italy next month.

Lionel Messi is included to no one’s surprise as Paulo Dybala is back in the team. Marcos Senesi of Feyenoord is also included. Six players, which were part of the preliminary team, have not made the final list. Those players being:

Leandro Paredes
Lucas Ocampos
Emiliano Buendía
Lucas Alario
Nicolás Domínguez
Lucas Martínez Quarta

Scaloni has selected the following players:

Goalkeepers:
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
Juan Musso (Atalanta)
Geronimo Rulli (Villarreal)
Franco Armani (River Plate)

Defenders:
Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla)
Nahuel Molina (Udinese)
Juan Foyth (Villarreal)
Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
Germán Pezzella (Real Betis)
Marcos Senesi (Feyenoord)
Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
Lisandro Martínez (Ajax)
Nehuén Pérez (Udinese)
Nicolás Tagliafico (Ajax)
Marcos Acuña (Sevilla)

Midfielders:
Guido Rodríguez (Real Betis)
Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton)
Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid)
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
Giovani Lo Celso (Villarreal)

Forwards:
Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
Alejandro Papu Gómez (Sevilla)
Nicolás González (Fiorentina)
Ángel Di María (Paris Saint-Germain)
Ángel Correa (Atletico Madrid)
Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
Joaquín Correa (Inter)
Julián Álvarez (River Plate)
Lautaro Martínez (Inter)

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73 Comments

  8. Another chance for Dybala. Reminds me of the Bob Dylan number – ‘How many chances must a man walk down, Before you call him a NT contributor?’. In the recent times Rulli has been quite disappointing unlike Ledesma. Joaquin Correa gets a chance as he seems to be fitting the team chemistry that Scaloni wants to create. However, he is not up to the mark. He was not good for the NT in the last so many matches and he was not good for Inter this season as well. The outcome of the match would depend on who starts with the pressing football and take the defence right up to the other team’s half. So Nico and Lautaro might not be bad choices to start with. However, Lautaro needs to play a pressing game, which he doesn’t usually. Both can be taken off around the 65th with Di Maria and Papu coming in. Italy has the hunger to send a message to the world and they have brilliant hard workers. However, Veratti is vulnerable as has been seen in umpteen PSG matches. Hope Messi shares some tips with the team how to force Veratti into a Y card earlier in the game. 🙂

    • When has Dybala even played a full game for Argentina? He gets called up for many games but the coach rarely plays him and when he plays he only gets 30 minutes. Dybala isn’t bad it’s the coaches who keep setting him up for failure. The same with Alario, he gets called up but rarely ever gets a chance to play.

      Sorry, you just don’t know what you’re talking about.

  9. We need player like Basanta(2014 WC), who can stand up when needed. We don’t want player like Palacio, who looks great in club but only brings negative impact in NT.

    This year, I can see Basanta’s type of mentality from Papu Gomez and A Correa. J Correa/Dybala/Ocampus/will just be another Palacio and cost us hugely in KO stage.

  10. Roy my brother…. you Got it wrong by saying Macalister for Paredes. I believe Lisandro is the one that will fill in case Guido has a problem but never Macalister. Roy I love you to death but u kill me with Macalister.

      • “Useless” might be the worst description of Ocampos.

        Workhorse ✅
        Fast ✅
        Good Dribbler ✅
        Multiple Positions (attacking wings or wide mid, even fullback!) ✅
        Physicality ✅

        His issue is form and inconsistency in front of the net. He’s very useful to the squad but the competition is high. Im not sure who he would challenge….maybe A Correa?
        7 attackers – Toro, Dybala, Alvarez, Messi, Di Maria, A Correa, Nico

        • Yes ocampos would be good only when argentina is going for a 2nd team. Otherwise he would be a liability. Coz we want a good attacking winger like di Maria. Nico can easily do the defensive part.

          • I don’t think he’s necessarily a liability, he just isn’t the style of player for when the other team sits back. For games against tough opposition where we will defend more, need to make it tough for the other team, and will play on the counter, he can be very useful.

    • Yes, why so many goalies and defenders just only for one game and such few middlefielders as Dominquez would have been good option as Ocampos too instead of some like Pezzella and Armani for example… i don’t really get it as neither do i understand it as Alario vould have been there,perhaps too…

  14. My friend plays Football Manager 2022. He is on June 23rd 2026 now managing Argentina national team. And that’s right, the World Cup time.

    Man I know it is a game but it is so real. The World Cup 2026 will be super fun because there will be 48 teams divided into 16 groups of 3 (From group A to group P)

    The top 2 of each group will make it to the second round. The second round will consist of 32 teams in the elimination stage (instead of 16 in the previous WC). From here it is win or go home. You have to win each game all the way until the final.

    It is gonna be wow.

      • McAllister you are joking. Buendia is superior and should be Locelso backup. McAllister is simply back pass merchant who lacks creativity. And talking of work rate Buendia also has impressive work rate.

        • Buendia was good in the second division. He has been a failure in the Premier League. Besides Buendia is not a replacement for Lo Celso’s role in Argentina squad. Mac Allister is the beggar’s choice without Paredes.

          Exequiel Palacios is inconsistent and prone to errors. Nicolas Dominguez would be a good second DM instead. Palacios can be third.

          As long as De Paul, Paredes, Lo Celso and Guido are all fit during the world cup, Argentina midfield is in good hands.

  16. Hopefully Dybala will cement his inclusion in the final squad for the WC once and for all and not just for that but for the future as well

    • I don’t know who will play r.w after messi
      for c.f I know lautaro is there and also alverez but what about l.w and r.w no super start coming up
      for l.w maybe garnacho and we have n.gonzalez
      but r.w I am never happy with a.correa or j.correa we need dybala there

        • Did you see Dybala’s last game? Twice he simply paced past defenders, once down the left, once down the right (with the second resulting in a goal). I think he is back to good physical form now. Hope he can stay at it.

      • FINALLY!!! Someone who has eyes and can see that Scaloni simply has his favorites. He calls up Alario and Dybala but barely plays them or gives them enough minutes to prove themselves. SMH! What a waste.

  17. So, I think perez,mac allister,palacious,rulli will be out to make it 26 qatar squad with paredes in.
    and I would really love it.
    whatever dybala should be there I don’t think so j.correa a.correa or even alverez is better than dybala

      • i’m not sure if your boy Bambi Foyth is out. Foyth plays RB, RCB, + DM if we’re desperate. Senesi on the left so competition is Ota and Lisandro.

        4 direct CBs overall + Foyth. Otamendi, Lisandro, Romero, and Pezz + Foyth. Looks like Big Pezz is the competition.

  18. Max 16 players will play this match , some of them less than 15 mins , then by that logic why select 26 players? Its because
    Scaloni wants his players to know that he wants them in the team.

    • It’s good to have our complete, full team to train together in preparation for the world cup. Forget how many will play. The team needs to keep developing chemistry and Scaloni needs to keep refining the team and forming the WC roster. This is an opportunity to do that. I care more about the team training and getting together than the game itself because of what this is building up to.

    • And how will it make sense if there were 8 mfs and 8 dfndrs ? Obviously not everyone will play the match. The callups are largely about practices and spars in the coaching ground.

    • Scaloni always selects 4 keepers. He is doing the same because he wants to keep things consistent leading up to the WC. He wants the training to stay the same.

  20. Many people already questioning about the squad composition, we have to think of this team selection majorly as the final big training camp before the world cup. People will start coming in from 23rd and it will go on untill 06th atleast, if the korea match doesnt happen. So 2 full weeks atleast and may be 3 weeks if we play the match on 15th.
    The coaching staff wants to finalize the best combinations. I guess, they have still not decided the 8 or 9 defenders list so they have called up all of them.
    5 mids are fine, we know paredes would be added to this and Papu can also play as a Mid.

    • Then they should have called enzo Fernandez also. Why cut buendia?? Why cut alario?? This doesn’t make sense. Why call armani when he is covid positive??

      • COVID nowadays is a 3 day thing. So Armani would be fine. Enzo is probably not in Scaloni’s plans now, may be after the world cup. Alario is someone even I wanted to see instead of J correa. But it seems scaloni likes J correa playing style.

        • I read somewhere Marcello Gallardo didn’t want River Plates players featured upcoming international fixtures. Gallardo stance might be hindrance to important players like Enzo Fernandez

  21. All 3 of Foyth, Molina and Montiel included. Foyth is competing for a CB, hybrid role.

    Understandable why some players were cut but would have been nice to have Alario.

    • Me too, I’m a big Alario fan. To me he’s better than Lautaro. Alario is a simple player who’s intelligent enough to get the job done. Lautaro scores but he also complicates things. Besides we already know he’s Argentina’s #1 forward so why no give more games to Alvarez, Alario and Dybala?

  22. Replace MacAllister with Enzo Fernandes and Armani with Ledesma and we’re complete.

    The balance between defense and midfield is not right. I assume the large number of defenders is due to injuries to Licha en Cuti.

    • Richard he is still trying out defenders and rightfully so, because our MF and Forwards are almost sorted out. This is a great opportunity to figure out the balance you are talking about before the WC.

  23. I think Scaloni is using this as a trial for the remaining defender’s spots. Senesi, Perez, Foyth are all competing now. Armani, Definitely included as part of the setup. Forward lineup is close to what we can expect to see in the WC. MacAllister and Palacios are trying out for a spot the rest of the MF are sorted.

  26. Really ? 4Gk and 5 mid ? For 1 match ??? He won copa. Always select good squad…. But sometimes its irritating with how he select and prefer 4 GK…

      • & someone of this site is very happy with it & try to make understand us his openion like only he understands football & we r just kids!! 🙂🙃🤭
        This is called “Armani Quota”. I become anxious that it may harm us in WC. Even I’m damn sure that Scaloni will play Armani as 2nd choice if Emi is not available in any match & will eat the ultimate bamboo! Need to just kick in the ass of such kind of biased selection. Thats it!

        • 3 gk should be emi, armani and musso. Right now rulli is not good. Armani actually good penalty stopper bt if u want to pick him pick him in 3 not pick 4 gks. He could have called up enzo or buendia or even alario for this spot

        • Ayon, either you are another troll account or you have a very one-dimensional and simple mind. And in fact you do act like a kid. Your post history is bashing the most insignificant player in our squad and wishing he gets COVID.

          Even after schooling you with logic and explaining the reasons why he is being selected and why it’s rational and why wasting energy on him is useless, you ignore everything only to go back to “omg these horrible politics will ruin us, Armani can’t even stand up he so old and stupid 🤭🤭🤭🤭 biased Scaloni eats bamboo Armani quota guys we should be worried!!!”… Kind of like a……..kid

          Armani is 3rd GK. He played his last game for Argentina in March against easy Venezuela at home, while Rulli got to play the difficult game against Ecuador away. From trainings in Ezeiza as well it’s clear that Armani is 3rd.

          In order for a 3rd GK to play in WC there has to be injury and/or red card to both 1st and 2nd GK. When was the last time a 3rd GK played in WC? Or in a major tournament?

          • Most insignificant anything doesn’t deserve a WC spot, clear?? Mr. Vikin, did I say anything about u here??!! Why r u taking everything with ur own body man??! Be more mature pls. Pls don’t think only u understand football. U may have grandfather also. I didn’t want any explanation from u man. I just gave my openion here & don’t want to argue with a NT locker room staff like u. We r happy to have u here, at least one guy directly related to NT regularly see our discussion! Be happy with ur own logic. Stay away. Thanks!

        • Ayon, if Armani is second choice then I see your concern. But I doubt he is. We still don’t have a “clear” second choice because all of Musso, Armani, Rulli, and even Marchesin have played in the last 365 days. It’s pretty ridiculous for you to deem things like “experience” laughable, the mental side of the game is just as important as the physical side and when mental weakness shows you get disasters like Rulli against Liverpool. Armani has dealt with pressure in the past and not to mention a HUGE part of our squad has not played a world cup, much of our core among that. For you to be constantly crying about a player WHO WILL NOT PLAY is crazy. What’s the benefit of having Rulli over Armani as a 3rd choice? Can you explain that to me? Like I mentioned we don’t have a clear second choice but that will probably be solved by Scaloni in the coming months, and I highly doubt that will be Armani

          • I would take Armani over Rulli anyday. Cannot cry about Benitez or Ledesma now its too late for WC. This is a great core team. Armani has WC experience. As a 3rd choice keeper I hope, he would be better than Rulli in the locker room. Scaloni will eventually cut off a keeper he will take 3 keepers to the WC. So I aint worried.

          • According to ur aspect..Romero is the best option, agree? Far better & experienced option. He played more wc than Armani & took the team in final like a warrior & also playing in Italy regularly. He is more used to deal with WC pressure & even not older than Armani, right? He is a player of Messi, Di Maria, Aguero generation. I hope his locker room chemistry will be more better than Armani. So why & how u omit him from the team when u select Armani again & again???? Its an open politics. Pls don’t try to establish a logic against a bad politics my dear. It sounds absurding!

  27. Good team selection overall
    However it doesn’t make sense to me selecting four goal keepers for a single match.

      • Now it is very clear these 29 (plus Paredes) are the Scaloni’s 30 men squad. So the 26 players will be these 30 – 4 players.

        Who are the 4 cut IF the WC starts today. Lets’s guess.
        1. One of the eliminated ones must be a goalie. Should be between Musso and Rulli. Based on Scaloni’s latest matches, Rulli has the edge to make it.

        2. 11 defenders? I am sure Scaloni will cut two The most likely is Nehuen Perez and then between Senesi and Foyth. My best guess is Foyth will be the actual winner here. LM Quarta lost the competition.

        So Musso, Nehuen Perez, and Senesi are cut.

        The last one cut will be interesting. One of these below: MacAllister, Palacios, Dybala, A. Correa, or Alvarez. I believe Joaquin Correa is safe as he has been Scaloni’s main back up until now.

        I have a feeling a forward will be cut.

        • That backup plan for Scaloni i.e J.Correa will cost him.This Final shouldbe his last chance. Remember when Sabella dropped Tevez coz of average players like Rodrigo Palacios. Same applied to J.Correa where he has failed to live up to the expectations. I believe Dybala, Angel Correa, Nico Gonzalez are ahead of him.
          As for the defenders I believe Lisandro Martinez will be utilized as a CDM/DM with Otamedi&Cuti Romero as CB patners

        • I think Scaloni will drop Rulli based on his height plus his recent disappointing matches. If you watched that first Liverpool goal at Anfield I believe Mussi or Martinez would have saved it based on their heights. Therefore dropping Musso for Rulli will be atrocious according to me.

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