Scaloni announces list of his warriors: Some big names haven't made the cut

There's an interesting contrast within Lionel Scaloni's final 26-man squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

On the one hand, his warriors of a thousand battles are there. From, of course, Lionel Messi and the seasoned veterans Nicolas Otamendi, Emiliano Martinez, and Nicolas Tagliafico, to tried-and-tested players from four years ago like Cristian Romero, Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, and others.

However, on the other hand, the 48-year-old tactician left out some pretty notable names, such as Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho, Paulo Dybala of Roma, and Franco Mastantuono of Real Madrid.

As for the stars - apart from Messi - there are the Blues vice-captain Enzo Fernandez, Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan skipper Lautaro Martinez, while Nico Paz of Como is one of the young prospects.

Interestingly, one of the best Premier League centre-backs, Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi, didn't make the cut, yet the two Olympique Marseille defenders, Facundo Medina and Leonardo Balerdi, have been selected.

Ultimately, Scaloni appears to have placed his faith in the proven performers who delivered glory in Qatar, with Messi still leading the way at 39.

Argentina can breathe again — Messi’s injury is not serious, he will be available for the World Cup

Does he still have enough magic left in his boots to win another World Cup title and script the greatest farewell story ever? Will sticking to the trusted formula pay off for Scaloni and his team once again?

The three group stage games against Algeria, Austria, and Jordan may give the first hint.

ARGENTINA WORLD CUP SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid), Geronimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille)

Defenders: Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina (Olympique Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid)

Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)

Forwards: Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Nico Paz (Como), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)