Argentina call up Tottenham's Marcos Senesi after Leonardo Balerdi ruled out of World Cup with calf tear
Tottenham Hotspur’s Marcos Senesi has been drafted into Argentina’s 26-man World Cup squad to replace the injured Leonardo Balerdi, just days before the defending champions open their Group J campaign.
Injury forces late change
Leonardo Balerdi’s hopes of featuring at the 2026 World Cup were dashed when the Marseille centre-back suffered a muscle tear in the soleus of his right leg during an Argentina training session. The 27-year-old was immediately withdrawn from Lionel Scaloni’s finalised 26-man squad, forcing the coaching staff to find a defensive replacement at short notice.
Senesi earns recall
Marcos Senesi, a 29-year-old central defender who spent last season helping Bournemouth finish sixth and qualify for Europe, was announced as Balerdi’s replacement by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) on Thursday.
Senesi had been cut when Scaloni trimmed his preliminary 55-man list to the final 26 at the end of May, but the injury opened the door. The defender, already unveiled as a Tottenham Hotspur signing on Wednesday, will officially join Spurs on 1 July, forming a club centre-back pairing with fellow Argentina international Cristian Romero.Marcos Senesi joins the Argentina squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Scaloni moves swiftly
Despite initially suggesting he needed more time after Argentina’s friendly against Iceland, coach Scaloni wasted little time in calling up Senesi.
Senesi, who has three caps since debuting in 2022 and last appeared against Mauritania in March, will join the squad in Kansas City, Missouri, where the Albiceleste are preparing for their opening match.After the game, I have a clearer idea of the team’s needs, but I still need some time to decide.
The road ahead
Argentina launch their title defence against Algeria on 16 June (some sources list 17 June), before facing Austria on 22 June and Jordan on 27 June in Group J. The team arrives as FIFA’s new world number one, having overtaken France, and come into the tournament after pre-World Cup friendly wins over Honduras (2-0) and Iceland (3-0).
- Balerdi suffers right soleus muscle tear in Argentina training.
- Tottenham announce signing of Marcos Senesi on a four-year deal.
- AFA confirms Senesi’s call-up to replace Balerdi in the 26-man squad.
- Argentina begin World Cup title defence against Algeria in Kansas City.
