Argentina’s squad for the upcoming 2024 Copa America has been unveiled. The tournament, beginning on June 20 and hosted by the United States, will see Argentina, the defending champions, start against Canada in Group A’s opening match, alongside Peru and Chile in the group.
Just five days ahead of the Copa America kickoff, Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed his team. Scaloni utilized the final day before the June 15 deadline for squad submissions to CONMEBOL to finalize his lineup. The coach has notably omitted Angel Correa, Valentin Barco, and Leonardo Balerdi from the 26-player roster.
All three players were initially part of Argentina’s 29-player provisional squad, but with only 26 spots available for the final Copa America team, they were left out before the competition began. Correa, who has made 25 appearances for Argentina and scored three goals during that time, has had a relatively underwhelming performance for Atletico Madrid, tallying just 64 goals in 304 games. Brighton and Hove Albion’s 19-year-old defender Barco, who has only one senior national team appearance, was also omitted, alongside Marseille’s young defender Balerdi, who has made just two senior appearances for Argentina.
In contrast, notable inclusions in the squad include Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister, Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez, and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez has been selected despite undergoing hernia surgery in April, which ruled him out for the end of the season. Despite not featuring in the pre-tournament friendlies, young winger Alejandro Garnacho, along with his Manchester United colleague Lisandro Martinez, who missed much of the 2023/24 Premier League season due to injuries, has been surprisingly included in the squad.
Argentina squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Franco Armani (River Plate), Geronimo Rulli (Ajax)
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Nottingham Forest), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Lucas Martinez Quarta (Fiorentina), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Maritnez (Manchester United), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon)
Midfielders: Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis), Leandro Paredes (Roma), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur)
Forwards: Angel Di Maria (Benfica), Valentin Carboni (Monza), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City)