Lionel Messi Joins 29-Man Squad for Argentina’s Pre-Copa America Friendly Matches

World Cup-winning captain and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi is set to lead Argentina’s 29-man squad in the upcoming friendly matches leading up to the Copa America tournament. According to a report from ESPN on Tuesday, the defending champions of both the World Cup and Copa America will face Ecuador on June 9 at Soldier Field in Chicago and Guatemala five days later in Landover, Maryland, before defending their Copa America title.

The Copa America tournament is scheduled to take place in the USA from June 20 to July 14, with Argentina defending their title after winning in 2021. Argentina and Uruguay share the record for most Copa America titles, with 15 victories each.

Under the guidance of Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s squad features 22 players from the 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning team in Qatar, including stars like Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria. Notable absences from the squad are Paulo Dybala (AS Roma), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), and Thiago Almada (Atlanta United FC).

Teams are required to finalize their Copa America squads by June 15, with a maximum of 26 players per team, as per the recent confirmation by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).

Argentina, the reigning world and South American champions, will kick off their Copa America campaign against either Canada or Trinidad and Tobago on June 20 in Atlanta. They will then face Chile five days later in East Rutherford, New Jersey, followed by a match against Peru on June 29 at Miami Gardens, Florida.

The roster for Argentina’s Copa America friendlies has been finalized.