Messi, Echeverri and Surprises in Argentina's Preliminary Squad

On Sunday night, head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed the squad for these two classic matchups in March, where the Albiceleste will aim to secure their ticket to the 2026 North America World Cup.

The call-up of Claudio "El Diablito" Echeverri and the return of Paulo Dybala are two of the biggest surprises in Argentina's preliminary list of 33 players reserved for the upcoming South American Qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil.

Echeverri, Dybala, and Other Key Inclusions

In addition to the call-up of Claudio Echeverri, a recent signing for Manchester City and a standout in the South American U-20 Championship, Scaloni has included Máximo Perrone (Como Calcio), Francisco Ortega (Olympiakos), Benjamín Domínguez (Bologna FC), and Santiago Castro (Bologna FC).

Another significant inclusion is the return of Paulo Dybala (AS Roma), who had been left out of the squad before last year's Copa América in the United States, where Argentina secured back-to-back titles.

Despite speculation about more call-ups from the domestic league, this preliminary squad features only two players from Argentina's top division: Gonzalo Montiel and Germán Pezzella, both from River Plate.

The two qualifiers will take place on March 21 against Uruguay at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo and four days later against Brazil at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

After these South American classics, Argentina will face Chile (in Santiago) and Colombia (at home) in June, followed by Venezuela (home) and Ecuador (away) in September.

The reigning world and back-to-back South American champions lead the standings with 25 points out of 36, followed by Uruguay with 20. Ecuador and Colombia are next with 19, Brazil has 18, and Paraguay 17. Bolivia sits in seventh place, in the playoff zone, with 13 points, while Venezuela is just behind with 12. Chile has 9, and Peru is at the bottom with 7.