Argentina picks squad to celebrate World Cup winners at home

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — World Cup winner Argentina will celebrate with its fans at two home games in March against Panama and Curacao.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni on Friday announced a 35-man squad which included Lionel Messi, Ángel Di Maria and the other members of Argentina’s winning squad in Qatar.

In its first games since beating France in the World Cup final, Argentina will play Panama on March 23 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Five days later it will host Curacao in another friendly at the northern city of Santiago del Estero.

Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho is rewarded for impressing at Manchester United with his first callup.

The 44-year-old Scaloni earlier this week extended his contract to the end of the 2026 World Cup.

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Squad:

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Franco Armani (River Plate), Gerónimo Rulli (Ajax).

Defenders: Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Marcos Acuña (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Nehuén Pérez (Udinese), Germán Pezzella (Betis), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon), Lautaro Blanco (Elche).

Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Ángel di Maria (Juventus), Guido Rodríguez (Betis), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Maximiliano Perrone (Manchester City), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Ángel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United), Giovani Lo Celso (Villarreal), Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa), Valentín Carboni (Inter Milan).

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain), Paulo Dybala (Roma), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Julián Álvarez (Manchester City), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Nicolás González (Fiorentina), Alejandro Gómez (Sevilla).

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