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TRIBUNNEWS.COM - Lionel Messi has reportedly received special privileges at Argentina’s national team training centre ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The legendary forward is set to take part in his sixth World Cup, which will be held in North America — an unprecedented milestone in football history.

Nicknamed “La Pulga,” Messi once again serves as the main pillar of Argentina’s campaign to defend their world champion title, which they secured in Qatar in 2022.

The 26-player squad announced by head coach Lionel Scaloni on Thursday included major changes, with nine members of the 2022 championship team omitted from the list.

Notably, Franco Mastantuono, Alejandro Garnacho, and Paulo Dybala did not make the final cut.

Special Facilities for Messi

Amid preparations, Messi has once again become the centre of attention within the squad.

The 38-year-old captain is said to have been granted a private room during the duration of the tournament.

While the Argentine team is based in Kansas City, the Inter Miami star occupies room 202 by himself, located next to the rooms of Rodrigo De Paul and Nicolas Otamendi, according to a report by Sportbible.

For many years, Messi used to share a room with Sergio Aguero when both were active members of the national team.

However, this arrangement changed after Aguero retired due to a heart condition.

During the 2022 World Cup, Messi also chose not to share a room, while Emiliano Martinez had to room with a member of the coaching staff at that time.

Argentina has been drawn into Group J alongside Algeria, Austria, and Jordan.

They are scheduled to play friendly matches against Honduras and Iceland before opening their group stage campaign against Algeria on June 17 in Kansas City.

After that, La Albiceleste will face Austria on June 23 in Arlington, Texas, and conclude the group stage with a match against Jordan on June 28.

Messi recently drew public attention after experiencing fitness issues while playing for Inter Miami, when he was substituted during a match against Philadelphia Union due to hamstring fatigue.

Although this initially caused concern, coach Lionel Scaloni has assured that the captain’s condition is not serious.

Messi even trained separately during the early sessions of preparation, along with other players undergoing specific recovery programmes such as Emiliano Martinez, Leandro Paredes, and Thiago Almada.

Latest updates suggest that Messi and several key Argentine players are expected to be fully fit for the tournament’s opening match.

PSM Legend Favors Argentina and Portugal

PSM Makassar legend Toni Ho has picked Portugal and Argentina as his favourites to achieve success at the 2026 World Cup.

According to him, the two teams are frontrunners because they have not made major overhauls to their squads. The player compositions heading into the 2026 World Cup remain largely similar to the previous edition in Saudi Arabia.

Portugal continues to rely on several seasoned names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Ruben Dias.

Meanwhile, Argentina still depends on key figures including Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, Julian Alvarez, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, and Nicolas Otamendi.

“I have two favourites, Portugal and Argentina. I see that Argentina hasn’t changed much of its squad, and Portugal is the same,” Toni Ho said in an interview with Tribun-Timur.com on Wednesday (June 3, 2026).

Toni Ho believes the presence of star players in both teams will make the difference in crucial matches. He described Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal and Lionel Messi for Argentina as central figures who continue to hold immense influence.

“Portugal’s key player is Ronaldo, while Argentina’s remains Messi. Both are role models for younger players, and everyone respects them,” added the AFC Pro-licensed coach.

(Tribunnews.com/Ali) (Tribun-Timur.com/Kaswadi Anwar)