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The Argentina national football team has begun their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup well in advance, setting up their base in one of the host regions.

Argentina has been assigned Kansas City as their training camp location.

The team will use the Sporting Kansas City Centre as their main facility for all pre-World Cup preparations.

Lionel Messi and his teammates have also finalized their accommodation arrangements for their stay in the United States.

They will be staying at the Savoy Hotel, which is also located in Kansas City.

As previously announced, Lionel Messi will be the only player without a roommate during the tournament.

The number 10 forward will have his own room for this edition of the quadrennial event.

This arrangement has been the case since Sergio 'Kun' Aguero retired from international duty with Argentina.

In the past, Messi used to share a room with Aguero during international tournaments.

However, after Aguero decided to end his professional career, Messi opted to stay alone.

At the Savoy Hotel, Messi will be staying in room number 202.

Interestingly, fans have made a connection between Messi’s room number and Argentina’s potential destiny at the 2026 World Cup.

They link it back to the 2022 World Cup, when Messi stayed in room number 201.

At the end of that tournament, Argentina were crowned world champions again after defeating France in the final.

That victory brought Argentina’s total World Cup trophies from two to three.

Symbolically, the digits in 201 (2+0+1) add up to 3 — the exact number of World Cup titles Argentina had at that time.

Now, with Messi occupying room number 202, fans have drawn a similar pattern — 2+0+2 equals 4.

If Argentina were to win the 2026 World Cup, it would indeed be their fourth world title.

Regardless of such numerological coincidences, Argentina’s success will ultimately depend on the team’s performance on the pitch.

Most of the players called up by head coach Lionel Scaloni are those who helped secure the World Cup victory in Qatar in 2022.

The squad includes key names such as Lionel Messi, Emiliano Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Cristian Romero.

Meanwhile, players like Franco Armani, Juan Foyth, German Pezzella, Marcos Acuna, Angel Di Maria, Alejandro Gomez, Guido Rodriguez, Paulo Dybala, and Angel Correa — who featured in the 2022 World Cup — have not been included this time for various reasons.

Among the new faces, young talent Nico Paz has been called up after an impressive season with Como 1907.

However, other promising youngsters such as Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea) and Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid) were not selected by Scaloni.

When asked about his selection criteria, Scaloni explained that multiple factors were considered, including team balance and roles that could enhance Argentina’s overall performance at the World Cup.

“We have players who can fill different roles, and if everything goes according to plan, this squad gives us more dynamism and verticality when needed,” Scaloni told DSports, as quoted by FIFA’s official website.

“We have established our style of play, and we will not change it,” he added. “But if situations arise that require adaptation, we are ready to make adjustments.”

Local Views on Argentina’s Chances to Defend Their Title

Regarding Argentina’s potential to defend their World Cup title in 2026, Adrian — one of the minds behind the Spieltag Indonesia media account — shared his thoughts.

According to Adrian, the continued leadership of Lionel Scaloni keeps Argentina among the top favourites to win again.

He also noted that Argentina’s relatively balanced group could help them progress smoothly through the group stage.

“Yes, of course, Argentina and Lionel Scaloni’s main goal is to defend the World Cup title,” Adrian said during Tribunnews’ podcast on Sunday, June 1, 2026.

“From what I know, Scaloni is the most successful coach in Argentina’s football history.”

“He has won two Copa America titles and one World Cup, so in terms of trophies, Scaloni has practically completed football at the international level.”

“Looking at the 2026 World Cup, Argentina’s chances are quite strong because they’re grouped with Austria, Jordan, and Algeria — which gives them a favourable start,” he continued.

“And considering the squad selection, it’s well-balanced — you have the experienced players like Messi, Martinez, Paredes, and Fernandez, along with a new generation of young talents.”

“So, in terms of squad composition, this might be one of the best Argentina teams, as most of their players are getting consistent minutes at their clubs and have strong chemistry at the national level,” he concluded.

(Tribunnews.com/Guruh, Dwi Setiawan)