Argentina name first squad of the post-Messi era as Scaloni hands call-ups to Anselmino and Troilo
Lionel Scaloni has named a 28-man Argentina squad for November friendlies against Uruguay and Costa Rica, the first since Lionel Messi retired from international football, with Aaron Anselmino and Mariano Troilo called up and Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso left out.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has named his first squad since Lionel Messi retired from international football, a 28-man group for November friendlies against Uruguay and Costa Rica that begins the world champions’ life without their greatest player.
The announcement, made on Tuesday, marks a formal turning point for a team that has been defined for two decades by Messi. The captain announced his international retirement on 31 August and played a farewell match against Benin on 6 October, leaving Scaloni to build a new side with the 2030 World Cup as its long-term horizon.
Argentina will host Uruguay on 13 November at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, before welcoming Costa Rica four days later, on 17 November, at the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium in Cordoba. Both matches are friendlies, but for Scaloni they are the first competitive test of his post-Messi blueprint.
The most eye-catching inclusions are two defenders earning their first senior recognition in this new cycle. Chelsea defender Aaron Anselmino, 21, has received his first senior call-up despite not yet having played for Chelsea’s first team this season, while Parma defender Mariano Troilo returns after an absence of about a year and a half, having previously been called up without playing.
There are also recalls for players Scaloni had previously left out. River Plate full-back Gonzalo Montiel is back after missing the September and October international windows, and midfielder Maximo Perrone has earned a recall, as Scaloni reshapes a squad that must replace not only Messi but also the generation that won the 2022 World Cup.
The absences are just as revealing as the inclusions. Midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso have been left out, apparently at the coach’s discretion, after both featured in the previous squad for Messi’s farewell. Their omission signals that Scaloni is willing to move on from established names, not merely to fill gaps left by retirement.
Other absences are explained by injury and suspension. New captain Cristian “Cuti” Romero and striker Lautaro Martinez are both out through injury, as is Nicolas Gonzalez, while Paulo Dybala is also absent. Midfielder Leandro Paredes and full-back Nahuel Molina remain suspended following incidents after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.
In goal, Scaloni has kept faith with experience. Emiliano Martinez has been included despite recently suffering a fractured jaw while playing for Chelsea, and he is expected to act as stand-in captain in Romero’s absence. Geronimo Rulli, Juan Musso and the young River Plate goalkeeper Santiago Beltran complete the goalkeeping group.
The core of the new-look side still carries pedigree. Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez are all included, alongside younger talents such as Franco Mastantuono, Thiago Almada, Nicolas Paz, Santiago Castro, Matias Soule and Gianluca Prestianni, who represent the generation Scaloni hopes will carry Argentina towards 2030.
Scaloni’s own future is also part of the story. Reports around the announcement suggested his contract renewal could be confirmed during the international window, which would give him a formal mandate to oversee the rebuild rather than merely to manage a transitional squad.
The Uruguay match, in particular, will carry emotional weight. Played at La Bombonera, one of world football’s most intense venues, against Argentina’s oldest rivals, it will be the first time the home crowd watches the national team in a new era, without the player who carried its hopes for so long.
Whether this squad proves to be a genuine new generation or a holding group will only become clear over the coming months. For now, though, the message from Scaloni’s selection is unmistakable: the post-Messi era has officially begun, and it will be built around youth, competition for places, and a willingness to leave even familiar names behind.
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