Balerdi misses World Cup due to injury; Argentina calls up Tottenham's new signing Senesi as a replacement.

The Argentine national team announced on Thursday that it has called up Marcos Senesi for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The 29-year-old Senesi primarily plays as a center-back and has only made three previous appearances for Argentina in friendly matches. He will replace Leonardo Balerdi in the final squad, who unfortunately strained his right soleus muscle during training five days ago.

According to multiple Argentine media reports, Senesi's inclusion in the squad is related to the injury risk of Nicolás Tagliafico. Tagliafico also suffered a grade 1 tear of the soleus muscle in his left leg during training today, and all indications suggest he will miss at least the first two group stage matches.

When Senesi received the call from Lionel Scaloni, he was vacationing with his girlfriend in Ibiza, Spain. He has now departed for Argentina's base in Kansas, USA, and is expected to join the main force tomorrow.

Senesi couldn't hide his excitement and joy at being called up to the national team. He told TyC Sports, "To be honest, I'm very happy to have the opportunity to realize my long-held dream—to participate in the World Cup. I'm packing my bags right now and getting ready to leave as soon as possible. We'll see each other soon."

A product of San Lorenzo's youth academy, Seneci has spent the last four seasons at Bournemouth. He made 128 appearances for Bournemouth and helped the team secure Europa League qualification for next season before leaving this summer.

Earlier this week, Senesi confirmed his move to Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer. He will wear the number 5 shirt at Spurs and will sign a contract until June 30, 2030.

However, Senesi is currently focused on defending his World Cup title in 2026. His World Cup campaign with Argentina will officially begin on June 17, with opponents in Group J: Algeria, Austria, and Jordan.

Image source: Internet