Will Messi play? Argentina answer fan queries in 55-man World Cup squad

Lionel Messi’s participation in the FIFA World Cup has been the subject of fan queries for the past few months, but his inclusion in Argentina’s preliminary squad for the tournament may have put those concerns to rest.

The global football superstar was among the 55 players named by Lionel Scaloni in his initial World Cup roster on Monday, but the 38-year-old has yet to fully confirm his availability as Argentina look to defend their title.

Messi was among the 16 forwards listed by the Argentinian head coach, who also named Gianluca Prestianni despite a six-match ban imposed on the player that could see him miss his team’s first two group games.

The Inter Miami and Argentina captain has repeatedly hinted that his time on the global stage may be coming to an end.

“I’m conscious that I’m playing my final matches, and I’m enjoying them to the maximum,” Messi said after an Inter Miami game in June. “I’m sure that you’re watching my final moments in football’s elite.”

However, he has neither committed nor cut ties with La Albiceleste in the run-up to the monthlong tournament, which begins on June 11.

Messi was part of the squad as Argentina began the qualification process for the World Cup 2026, but injuries kept the football great out of action in their last few matches.

It prompted Scaloni to say there was “plenty of time” to make a call on Messi’s future in international football, but the World Cup-winning coach may have confirmed his and the player’s decision with his squad announcement.

Messi’s teammates have been very clear about their wishes.

“With Messi, we might have scored two or three more goals,” Julian Alvarez said after Argentina’s 4-1 win over Brazil in the South American qualifiers last year.

Rodrigo de Paul echoed Messi’s fans in Argentina and around the world when he said: “The best of our teams is always when the number 10 is playing because he is the greatest of all time.”

Messi scored seven goals for Argentina as they lifted the World Cup trophy for the first time in 36 years at the Qatar 2022 tournament.

The captain scored his team’s first goal in regulation time in the final against France as well as their first penalty after the game ended in a 3-3 draw after extra time.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Prestianni is set to miss at least two of Argentina’s World Cup fixtures as he serves a six-match ban for using homophobic slurs during a UEFA Champions League game in February. ‌‌

Playing for Benfica of Portugal, Prestianni was accused of hurling verbal insults towards Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. He denied using abusive language and said on social media that he was “misunderstood”.

The original penalty was handed out by UEFA, Europe’s football governing body, before FIFA extended the punishment to all worldwide sanctioned matches.

Prestianni made his debut for Argentina’s national team in November and has been part of their squad in recent months.

The World Cup – cohosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States – will conclude on July 19.

Argentina open their title defence against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City, Missouri, before facing Austria on June 22 in Dallas, Texas, and Jordan at the same venue on June 27.

Can you identify all 48 teams participating in the FIFA World Cup 2026? Take our quiz here.

[Al Jazeera]