No World Cup For Paulo Dybala: Roma Star Excluded From Argentina’s Preliminary Roster

Paulo Dybala’s time with the Argentine national team appears to have reached its conclusion. When head coach Lionel Scaloni submitted his preliminary 55-man roster for the 2026 World Cup on Monday, the Roma forward’s name was omitted. Scaloni opted to move forward without the 32-year-old playmaker, likely signaling an end to Dybala’s run with La Albiceleste. Dybala has not featured for Argentina since late 2024. While he was a member of the squad that lifted the trophy in Qatar, his role has diminished as injuries and the emergence of younger options shifted the team’s direction. Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho and Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni are among those that made the preliminary list Prestianni’s inclusion comes despite a global FIFA ban for conduct during a Champions League match, which would see him miss the first two group stage matches against Algeria and Austria, if he makes the final cut. Lionel Messi was included in the 55-man list, though the Inter Miami captain has not yet publicly confirmed his participation in the tournament. Argentina’s technical staff will now use the coming weeks to trim the group down to the final 26-man squad by May 30. The team is scheduled to play two warm-up matches in the United States, facing Honduras at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field on June 6 and Iceland at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium on June 9. Argentina is in Group J, where they will face Algeria on June 16, before facing Austria on June 22 and will wrap up the group stage against Jordan on June 27.