Buenos Aires: Lionel Messi will not be part of the Argentine squad for the upcoming Olympic Games scheduled to commence later this month in Paris.
The team, led by Coach Javier Mascherano, will include four players from the victorious World Cup team, including Julián Álvarez and Nicolás Otamendi.
Messi, who is currently participating in the Copa America, has been dealing with injuries and will not be able to join the Olympic squad despite his previous gold medal win in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The men’s football competition at the Olympics is mainly for under-23 teams but allows the inclusion of up to three players over the age limit.
Mascherano plans to add goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli to the squad after the Copa America, along with Otamendi and Álvarez. Furthermore, midfielder Claudio Echeverri, who recently moved to Manchester City from River Plate, is also set to join the team.
Argentina will play two friendly matches in France before their first Olympic match against Morocco on July 24. They are in Group B, which also includes teams from Iraq and Ukraine.
Argentina squad for Paris Olympics 2024:
Goalkeepers: Leandro Brey (Boca Juniors), Geronimo Rulli (Ajax).
Defenders: Marco Di Cesare (Racing Club), Julio Soler (Lanus), Joaquin Garcia (Velez Sarsfield), Gonzalo Lujan (San Lorenzo), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Bruno Amione (Santos Laguna).
Midfielders: Ezequiel Fernandez (Boca Juniors), Santiago Hezze (Olympiacos), Cristian Medina (Boca Juniors), Kevin Zenon (Boca Juniors).
Forwards: Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Luciano Gondou (Argentinos Juniors), Thiago Almada (Botafogo de Brasil), Claudio Echeverri (River Plate), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Lucas Beltran (Fiorentina).
