Argentina call up Dybala, Foyth for World Cup
Buenos Aires, Nov 11 (EFE).- AS Roma forward Paulo Dybala and Villarreal defender Juan Foyth are the noteworthy additions to the Argentine national soccer team roster announced Friday by coach Lionel Scaloni ahead of World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
Scaloni included Dybala and Angel De Maria of Juventus even though both players spent all of last month sidelined by injuries.
But the coach will have to do without Giovani Lo Celso as he needs to undergo surgery for an injured hamstring. The midfielder was a key factor in the 2021 Copa America triumph that ended Argentina’s title drought after 28 years.
Alejandro “Papu” Gomez, Alexis Mac Allister, Exequiel Palacios and Enzo Fernandez are seen as possible replacements for Lo Celso.
Captaining the squad is 35-year-old Lionel Messi, participating in his fifth World Cup, surpassing Javier Mascherano and the late Diego Maradona for the most appearances in the tournament by an Argentine footballer.
Scaloni was one of the then-teenage Messi’s teammates in World Cup 2006.
Argentina won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986 – the latter with Maradona as leader – and were runners-up in 1990 and 2014.
Left off the 26-man roster was Atletico Madrid’s Angel Correa, who has been capped 22 times and was part of the Copa America-winning team.
Messi, the seven-time Ballon d’Or, has said that this will be his last World Cup and Argentina are among the favorites in the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 tournament.
In Qatar, the Albiceleste will compete in Group C against Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland.
After a Nov. 16 friendly with the United Arab Emirates, Scaloni and his men will begin preparing for their Nov. 22 tournament opener against the Saudis.
Next will be a Nov. 26 tie with Mexico and Argentina will finish the group stage on Nov. 30 against Robert Lewandowski’s Poland.
Roster
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Franco Armani (River Plate), Gero Rulli (Villarreal).
Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Marcos Acuña (Sevilla), Juan Foyth (Villarreal).
Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis), Alejandro “Papu” Gomez (Sevilla), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton & Hove Albion), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica).
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Angel Di Maria (Juventus), Joaquin Correa (Inter Milan), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Paulo Dybala (AS Roma.
EFE
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