Scaloni finalizes Argentina roster with six local reinforcements and three from abroad

Scaloni already has his full roster, and there's some genuinely local news to be proud of. The Argentina National Team confirmed the final squad list for September's friendlies, and on top of the 28 names already known, six players from Argentine domestic soccer were added, along with three more reinforcements who joined outside the initial call-up. An interesting mix for a cycle that's just getting started.

Because that's what this is all about: beginning a new era. After the runner-up finish at the World Cup against Spain, the Albiceleste is entering a different phase, one that will be marked by Messi's official retirement from the national team. Building a winning squad all over again is no small task, but with the talent on hand, it hardly looks impossible either.

The reinforcements arriving from the domestic league

So who are the chosen ones from the local scene? The list has a distinctly River Plate flavor: four of the call-ups play for the Millonario. We're talking about Beltran, Almada, Andrada and Otamendi, though there's an important caveat with the defender: he'll only be under consideration for the October 6 match at the Monumental.

Boca Juniors also has a representative, and it's one of the club's academy gems: Leonel Flores. Estudiantes, meanwhile, contributes Tomas Palacios, who got the call from the Pincha.

That said, this doesn't mean either player will miss their club commitments. The Argentine soccer association made that clear in its official statement:

Flores and Palacios "will be released to play their matches with their clubs" before returning to train with the national team.AFA statement

The three reinforcements arriving from abroad

Joining the local players are three more names that weren't on the original list of 28: Equi Fernandez, Santiago Simon and Valentin Gomez, all three currently playing overseas.

The core of the squad, though, remains steady with the usual pillars. Still there are Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Cristian Romero, among others, along with fresher faces like Franco Mastantuono at Fiorentina and Gianluca Prestianni at Benfica, names that are increasingly finding a place in a national team that's starting to look ahead.

And of course, all of this is unfolding amid an emotional farewell. With Messi in the final stretch of his time in the national team jersey, Scaloni faces the task of balancing tribute with building what comes next. September's friendlies will, in that sense, offer an early glimpse of where this new version of Argentina might be headed.