Not Dibu Martínez: Aston Villa star called up to Lionel Messi’s Argentina squad for Angola friendly
Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team have dealt with several setbacks ahead of their lone November international friendly against Angola. To cover some of the absences, head coach Lionel Scaloni has opted to call up an Aston Villa star that’s not Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez.
In a window featuring only one scheduled friendly, star goalkeeper Dibu Martínez will not join the squad. Reports indicate that Martínez and Scaloni mutually agreed on giving him the break so the coaching staff could evaluate other options in the goalkeeper position, opening the door for another Villa player to receive a surprise call.
Scaloni has decided to call up Emiliano Buendía for the Angola match. The decision comes after Atlético Madrid stars Julián Álvarez, Giuliano Simeone, and Nahuel Molina were withdrawn from the squad because they did not arrive in time to complete mandatory yellow fever vaccination protocols before traveling to Africa.
With two attacking options unavailable, Buendía quickly emerged as a logical replacement. The Villa midfielder is now the second late addition to the squad, joining Kevin Mac Allister, who was promoted to replace the injured Enzo Fernández.
After recovering from an ACL tear, Buendía has rediscovered his form during the 2025–26 season, taking on a key role at Aston Villa. Following a six-month loan at Bayer Leverkusen last season, the attacking midfielder has already started seven matches for the Villans, and after scoring a stunning free-kick goal last weekend against Bournemouth, he’ll have the chance to feature once again with the national team since February 2022 against Colombia.
How does Argentina’s squad list look after these changes?
Last Thursday, the Argentina FA announced a 24-player squad for the November international break, which will include only the November 14 friendly against Angola. Since then, several changes have been made on the list, both in terms of absences and additions ahead of the team’s training camp in Alicante, Spain.
From the original squad, Enzo Fernández was ruled out due to injury, while Julián Álvarez, Giuliano Simeone, and Nahuel Molina were late withdrawals. In response, Scaloni added Kevin Mac Allister and Emiliano Buendía, along with Lisandro Martínez, who will rejoin the group for the training sessions after recovering from his ACL injury, though he will not play against Angola.
Argentina’s final list for November
- Goalkeepers: Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille), Walter Benítez (Crystal Palace)
- Defenders: Juan Foyth (Villarreal), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Marcos Senesi (AFC Bournemouth), Nicolás Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon), Valentín Barco (Racing Club Strasbourg), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Kevin Mac Allister (Union St. Gilloise).
- Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa), Máximo Perrone (Como 1907), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Nicolás Paz (Como 1907).
- Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica), Nicolás González (Atlético Madrid), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), José Manuel López (Palmeiras), Joaquín Panichelli (Racing Club Strasbourg).