- 20 players from the team that lifted the trophy in the United States are returning.
- Simeone, Soulé, and Castellanos are Scaloni's key new additions.
Argentina won its 16th CONMEBOL Copa América™ title on July 14 in Miami, after defeating Colombia 1-0. This was the Albiceleste's second consecutive championship, following their victory in Brazil 2021.
For the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers, Lionel Scaloni has selected 28 players to host Chile and visit Colombia.
Who are the returning champions?
From the team that won in the United States, 20 players have been called up: Gerónimo Rulli, Emiliano Martínez, Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Germán Pezzella, Nicolás Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico, Leandro Paredes, Guido Rodríguez, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández, Giovani Lo Celso, Rodrigo De Paul, Nicolás González, Alejandro Garnacho, Valentín Carboni, Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez.
The absentees
Lionel Messi, who was injured in the final against Colombia and hasn't played since, Ángel Di María (retired from international football), Franco Armani, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Marcos Acuña, Exequiel Palacios.
The new faces
Argentina has three new names in the senior team: Matías Soulé, Valentín Castellanos, and Giuliano Simeone.
Soulé is 21 years old and had a great season at Frosinone, where he was on loan from Juventus. His excellent performance earned him a transfer to Roma.
Castellanos is 25 years old, nicknamed Taty, and has been playing for Lazio since 2023, after making a name for himself at Girona (Spain) and New York City (USA).
Simeone is 21 years old, the son of "Cholo" (a two-time CONMEBOL Copa América™ champion) who is also his coach at Atlético Madrid. He was part of the U-23 squad that reached the Quarterfinals in the Olympics, where he scored a goal against Morocco.
When does Argentina play?
Argentina will host Chile on September 5 at the Más Monumental Stadium and will visit Colombia on September 10 at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez. The Albiceleste currently leads the South American World Cup Qualifiers.
