Lionel Scaloni Explains Why Paulo Dybala Was Left Out of Argentina’s Preliminary 2026 World Cup Squad
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni is finalizing his 26-man World Cup squad for the tournament in North America, and one of the biggest talking points has been the omission of Paulo Dybala from the preliminary roster. Scaloni released a 55-player list on May 11, but Dybala was not included, despite ending the season strongly with AS Roma and helping the club secure Champions League qualification.
Scaloni explained the decision in an interview with DSports, saying Dybala remains a high-quality player and that he appreciates his form and character. However, he stressed that Argentina must also consider players who have been more consistently involved in the national team and younger options who can contribute now and in the future. According to Scaloni, the final choice was based on current squad balance and the direction of the team beyond this tournament.
Dybala’s recent lack of international minutes also appears to have influenced the decision. His last Argentina call-up came in September 2024, when he played only 16 minutes across World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia. Since then, he has missed every national team window, while other players such as Nico Paz and Emiliano Buendia have strengthened their cases and become more established in the squad.
The 32-year-old forward faced a difficult season at Roma, where he had to adapt to Gian Piero Gasperini’s system before a knee operation sidelined him for a significant period. Even so, he contributed four assists in Roma’s final three matches during a five-game winning run that secured Champions League football. Those performances arrived after much of Scaloni’s evaluation had already been completed, leaving Dybala with limited time to force his way back into contention.
Scaloni also pointed to the broader challenge of trimming the squad after Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph. Several members of the title-winning team have now been left out of the latest list. The absent players from the 2022 squad include Franco Armani, Juan Foyth, Alejandro Gomez, Angel Correa, Paulo Dybala and Angel Di Maria. Armani and Di Maria have officially retired from international duty, while Foyth is unavailable because of an ACL injury. The exclusions of Correa, Dybala and Gomez, however, were decisions made by Scaloni rather than matters of fitness or retirement.
Although Dybala played a limited role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup success, he still made important contributions, including appearing in the semifinal and taking part in the shootout against France in the final. Even so, that achievement was not enough to guarantee him a place in the 2026 squad conversation.
Scaloni’s comments underline a selection policy based on current form, tactical needs and future planning, even if that means leaving out established names from the team’s most recent golden era.
