The world champion is set to close the year with his final home appearance, while the coach works to resolve lingering issues before kickoff.
Argentina will bid farewell to 2023 with the classic against Uruguay on the fifth round of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in North America. This match will be the Albiceleste’s last at home until June of next year, as the team will relocate its home base to La Bombonera due to the Monumental venue being unavailable for Taylor Swift concerts.
The meeting with Celeste is scheduled for Thursday, November 16 at 9 p.m. and will provide the latest updates on the current world champions.
Players called up by the Argentina national team
Looking ahead to the final double date of the year, head coach Lionel Scaloni called up a squad of 28 players, maintaining the familiar core while introducing a couple of surprises. There are two notable returns, one absence driven by a technical decision, and another due to fitness issues.
The two new additions are Francisco Ortega and Pablo Maffeo, who have joined the squad after returning to Barcelona, both tracing their roots to Argentina through their mothers and choosing to represent the Albiceleste. On the other hand, meaningful comebacks after injuries come from Angel Di María, Paulo Dybala, and Giovani Lo Celso. Alejandro Garnacho misses out due to limited playing time at Manchester United, while Johannes Foyth is sidelined by injury.
Goalkeepers:
- Emiliano Martinez
- Franco Armani
- Juan Musso
- Walter Benitez
Defenders:
- Gonzalo Montiel
- Pablo Maffeo
- Nahuel Molina
- German Pezzella
- Christian Romero
- Lucas Martinez Quarta
- Nicolas Otamendi
- Marcos Acuna
- Francisco Ortega
- Nicholas Tagliafico
Midfielders:
- Leandro Paredes
- Guido Rodriguez
- Enzo Fernandez
- Rodrigo DePaul
- Exequiel Palacios
- Giovani Lo Celso
- Alexis MacAllister
- Paulo Dybala
Forwards:
- Angel Di Maria
- Lionel Messi
- Julian Alvarez
- Lautaro Martinez
- Nicholas Gonzalez
- Lucas Ocampos
The Argentina lineup versus Uruguay
With the full squad available, the world champions will begin training on Monday afternoon as they prepare for the Celeste clash. Scaloni faces several decisions across the three sessions planned before the classic match.
With Ángel Di María back in contention, the coach must decide whether to start him again after Nico González impressed on the previous double date. The debate over the center forward position between Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez is reopened, and the left-back spot between Nicolás Tagliafico and Marcos Acuña is also up for grabs.