Inter Miami player Lionel Messi and his teammate Rodrigo De Paul have been named in the 24-member Argentina national team for the friendly match against Angola on November 14. Despite Inter Miami being in the midst of the MLS Cup playoffs, national team coach Lionel Scaloni has retained both players in the squad.
This season, Messi has scored 29 goals and provided 19 assists in MLS, making him a key player for both club and country.
For this international window, players from the Argentine Primera Division have been left out of the squad. Goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez, who is recovering from an injury, has also been excluded. New, uncapped players like Gianluca Prestianni, Joaquín Panichelli, and Máximo Perrone have been included in the team.
Goalkeepers: Gerónimo Rulli (Marseille), Walter Benítez (Crystal Palace)
Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid), Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon), Valentín Barco (Racing Strasbourg)
Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Thiago Almada (Atlético Madrid), Máximo Perrone (Como), Nicolás Paz (Como)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Julián Álvarez (Atlético Madrid), Nicolás González (Atlético Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid), José Manuel López (Palmeiras), Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica), Joaquín Panichelli (Racing Strasbourg)