Argentina: the 6 world champions left out of the World Cup | OneFootball

The unveiling of the preliminary squad for the Argentina national team for the 2026 World Cup sent a clear signal about the transition taking place during Lionel Scaloni’s tenure. Several members of the squad that won in Qatar 2022 are no longer in contention on the road to the next World Cup.

Between injuries, the end of cycles, and a loss of playing time, some historic Albiceleste names were left out of the preliminary list of 55 players.

One of the most notable names is Franco Armani. The River goalkeeper was a backup for much of the World Cup in Qatar and was part of the group that secured the third star.

However, he has not received a call-up to the Argentina national team in almost two years and was ultimately left out of the preliminary squad presented by Scaloni.

The presence of Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez and Gerónimo Rulli also reflects the generational change in Argentina’s goalkeeping ranks.

Another absent champion is Ángel Di María. The Rosario native had already announced his retirement from the national team after winning the Copa América and will not continue on the path toward the 2026 World Cup.

“Fideo” was a key piece of Scaloni’s cycle and scored one of the most memorable goals in the final against France in Lusail.

His departure marks the end of a generation that also won the 2021 Copa América and the Finalissima against Italy.

Alejandro “Papu” Gómez also does not appear to be under consideration by the coaching staff. The attacking midfielder has not been called up again since the triumph in Qatar.

In Paulo Dybala’s case, constant injuries and a lack of continuity at Roma ended up affecting his chances of returning to the national team.

Although he was part of the world champion squad and converted his penalty in the final against France, the Córdoba native lost ground in the competition for attacking spots.

Correa and Foyth, other major absences

Ángel Correa was also left out of the preliminary squad. The forward decided to continue his career in Mexican football and gradually fell off the Albiceleste radar.

Juan Foyth, meanwhile, will also be unable to take part in the World Cup due to a ruptured left Achilles tendon suffered at the beginning of the year.

Both had been part of the title-winning group in Qatar and now appear among the names who will not be at the next World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.