No Messi in Argentina's Olympic soccer squad; Álvarez and Otamendi selected for Paris Games
Posted 7/2/24
Lionel Messi won't be in Argentina’s squad at the Olympics starting later this month in Paris. Coach Javier Mascherano included four World Cup winners in the squad he announced Tuesday, including …
You must be a member to read this story.
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
Need to set up your free e-Newspaper all-access account? click here.
Non-subscribers
Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.
Register to comment
Click here create a free account for posting comments.
Note that free accounts do not include access to premium content on this site.
I am anchor
No Messi in Argentina's Olympic soccer squad; Álvarez and Otamendi selected for Paris Games
Argentina's Lionel Messi looks on at the end of a Copa America Group A soccer match against Peru in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Posted
BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Lionel Messi won't be in Argentina’s squad at the Olympics starting later this month in Paris.
Coach Javier Mascherano included four World Cup winners in the squad he announced Tuesday, including striker Julián Álvarez and defender Nicolás Otamendi.
The 37-year-old Messi, who has struggled with injuries this year, is now playing at the Copa America, aiming to defend the continental title he won in 2021. That victory served as a springboard for Argentina to lift the World Cup in 2022.
Messi won the gold medal at Beijing in 2008 in his only Olympic campaign.
The Olympic men’s soccer tournament is for under-23 teams, but three older players are allowed on each squad.
Mascherano, who won the Olympic gold medal as a player in 2004 and '08, will add goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli, Otamendi and Álvarez to his squad after Copa America is finished.
Midfielder Claudio Echeverri, a recent signing for Manchester City from River Plate, will also join.
Argentina will play two friendlies in France before its Olympic soccer tournament opener against Morocco on July 24. Argentina and Morocco are in Group B along with Iraq and Ukraine.