This is Argentina's most-likely 2026 World Cup squad, projected from minutes played for the national team over the last twelve months, as the federation has not yet announced its official 26-man list. The status column reflects that: the top 16 are labeled Locked, ranks 17–22 Likely, and ranks 23–30 Bubble. Argentina is drawn into Group J, where it faces Algeria, Austria and Jordan. The most-played player in the last 12 months of national-team football is Emiliano Martínez, with 1,207 minutes across 14 caps, the squad's most in-form option heading into the tournament. Close behind is Alexis Mac Allister on 1,154 minutes, another of the side's most-used players over the same period. Over the past twelve months the team has posted 15 wins, 0 draws and 2 losses, scoring 43 goals and conceding 10. Every name links to a player profile with the full minutes and recent-form breakdown.
Matches & results
Group standings
26-man squad
| # | Player | Position | Club | NT minutes (12mo) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emiliano Martínez | Goalkeeper | Aston Villa | 1,207 | Locked |
| 2 | Alexis Mac Allister | Midfielder | Liverpool | 1,154 | Locked |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Forward | Inter Miami | 1,041 | Locked |
| 4 | Cristian Romero | Defender | Tottenham | 1,014 | Locked |
| 5 | Rodrigo De Paul | Midfielder | Inter Miami | 945 | Locked |
| 6 | Enzo Fernández | Midfielder | Chelsea | 869 | Locked |
| 7 | Nicolás Tagliafico | Defender | Lyon | 857 | Locked |
| 8 | Julián Álvarez | Midfielder | Atletico Madrid | 831 | Locked |
| 9 | Nahuel Molina | Defender | Atletico Madrid | 792 | Locked |
| 10 | Lisandro Martínez | Defender | Manchester United | 734 | Locked |
| 11 | Lautaro Martínez | Forward | Inter | 702 | Locked |
| 12 | Leandro Paredes | Midfielder | Boca Juniors | 687 | Locked |
| 13 | Nicolás González | Midfielder | Atletico Madrid | 659 | Locked |
| 14 | Nicolás Otamendi | Defender | Benfica | 568 | Locked |
| 15 | Thiago Almada | Midfielder | Atletico Madrid | 540 | Locked |
| 16 | Giuliano Simeone | Midfielder | Atletico Madrid | 477 | Locked |
| 17 | Facundo Medina | Defender | Marseille | 449 | Likely |
| 18 | Giovani Lo Celso | Midfielder | Real Betis | 385 | Likely |
| 19 | Gonzalo Montiel | Defender | River Plate | 338 | Likely |
| 20 | Nicolás Paz | Forward | Como | 296 | Likely |
| 21 | Marcos Senesi | Midfielder | Bournemouth | 234 | Likely |
| 22 | Exequiel Palacios | Defender | Bayer Leverkusen | 232 | Likely |
| 23 | Gerónimo Rulli | Goalkeeper | Marseille | 185 | Bubble |
| 24 | José López | Forward | Palmeiras | 166 | Bubble |
| 25 | Valentín Barco | Midfielder | Strasbourg | 109 | Bubble |
| 26 | Juan Musso | Goalkeeper | Atletico Madrid | 81 | Bubble |
Methodology
Players are ranked by minutes played for La Albiceleste over the last 365 days. Ties are broken by appearances. The top 16 are labeled Locked, ranks 17–22 Likely, ranks 23–30 Bubble — a starting frame, not a verdict.
Articles
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