SOCCER
Lionel Scaloni reveals his Argentina National Team squad for Panama and Curaçao games
The manager has picked a lot of players that won the Qatar World Cup as well as some interesting new inclusions.
![Will Lionel Scaloni stay with Argentina?](https://img.asmedia.epimg.net/resizer/v2/JLRSVSLL46BYX6VWINQOPZQUZA.jpg?auth=314a45c22c4f8eec8351922728e0e6d8bed3ff7bbc9c651603f0e42d10b5ca66&width=360&height=203&focal=685%2C185)
World Cup winners Argentina have named their squad for the upcoming games against Panama and Curaçao in March. Manager Lionel Scaloni has chosen a core of players who won the tournament in December as well as some new and interesting names that have been speculated upon in recent weeks and months.
The majority of the squad featured in Argentina’s glorious run to becoming World Champions, in which they overcame a dramatic opening loss to Saudi Arabia before beating Mexico, Poland, Australia, the Netherlands, Croatia and ultimately France to win football’s biggest prize.
![Lionel Messi celebrates with Leandro Paredes after winning the World Cup in a dramatic final game against France.](https://img.asmedia.epimg.net/resizer/v2/IA54APVOH4NEKWXZP5BEX6LEKI.jpg?auth=d5d8e9e9e7bdb1a5c1677510a27f2aa3592a8dc3aa8365729d32d12ee82601c7&width=360)
Lionel Scaloni opts for youth
The new inclusions to the squad are Facundo Buonanotte, Valentín Carboni, Lautaro Blanco, Maxi Perrone and Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), all of whom have come from the Under-20 squad.
The players who are now included who have not been promoted from the youth team are Aston Villa’s Emi Buendía and Nehuén Pérez as well as Gio Le Celso and Nicolás González (both injured during the World Cup).
The full squad list is as follows:
Goalkeepers:
- Franco Armani (River Plate)
- Gerónimo Rulli (Ajax)
- Emi Martínez (Aston Villa)
Defenders:
- Juan Foyth (Villarreal)
- Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla)
- Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid)
- Nehuén Pérez (Udinese)
- Germán Pezzella (Real Betis)
- Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
- Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United)
- Nicolás Tgaliafico (Lyon)
- Marcos Acuña (Sevilla)
- Lautaro Blanco (Elche)
Midfielders:
- Leandro Paredes (Juventus)
- Guido Rodríguez (Real Betis)
- Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)
- Máximo Perrone (Manchester City)
- Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Rodrigo De Paul (Atlético Madrid)
- Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Thiago Almada (Atlanta United)
- Giovani Lo Celso (Villarreal)
- Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Valentín Carboni (Inter)
Forwards:
- Ángel Di María (Juventus)
- Ángel Correa (Atlético Madrid)
- Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa)
- Lionel Messi (PSG)
- Paulo Dybala (Roma)
- Lautaro Martínez (Inter)
- Julián Álvarez (Manchester City)
- Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
- Nicolás González (Fiorentina)
- Alejandro Gómez (Sevilla)