Five Argentina Players Listed in FIFA World Cup Team Vote, Ole Reports

Five Argentina players are listed among the candidates for FIFA’s fan-voted team of the 2026 World Cup, according to Argentine outlet Ole, after a tournament that ended with Spain defeating Argentina in the final.

The five names reported from Lionel Scaloni’s squad are Emiliano Martinez, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Enzo Fernandez and Lionel Messi. Ole says FIFA has opened voting on its official site, with supporters able to choose an ideal team from selected players across the tournament.

The vote gives Argentina fans a post-final point of interest after the defending champions reached another World Cup final but failed to retain the title. For neutral football followers, it also raises a familiar awards-season question: how much should a fan XI reward team success, individual level and position balance?

The reported Argentina candidates

Ole reports that Emiliano Martinez is among the goalkeeper options. The outlet also notes that Spain’s Unai Simon may be seen as a strong candidate for that spot after winning the Golden Glove and conceding only one goal during the tournament.

In defence, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez are listed as Argentina’s centre-back candidates. Ole describes both as important parts of Argentina’s run, while noting that each left the final at different stages because of physical issues.

Enzo Fernandez is the only Argentina midfielder mentioned in the report. Messi is the fifth Argentina player on the list after finishing as the tournament’s second-highest scorer behind Kylian Mbappe, according to Ole.

Key facts from the report

How the FIFA vote is described

According to Ole, the ballot lets users build a team using three possible formations: 4-4-2, 4-3-3 and 3-4-3. That matters because formation choices can affect which players appear in each section of the vote.

Ole specifically flags the midfield category as debatable, saying some players who are usually treated as forwards appear among the available options for the middle of the pitch. That makes the vote less straightforward than simply picking the best player in each traditional role.

The report frames the ballot as a public-facing FIFA vote rather than a technical award. Readers should not automatically treat it as the same type of recognition as the Golden Glove, Golden Boot, Golden Ball or best young player award unless FIFA defines it that way in its official material.

Spain’s title and the omissions debate

Spain’s success is central to the story because Luis de la Fuente’s side won the World Cup, according to Ole, but not every Spanish standout appears in the reported defensive options.

Ole highlights the absence of Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte from the reported list of selectable defenders. Cubarsi’s omission is especially notable in that account because the Barcelona defender was named the tournament’s best young player.

Those omissions are the part of the ballot most likely to fuel debate beyond Argentina. A fan-voted team can reflect popularity, visibility and attacking moments as much as it reflects tactical consistency or tournament-winning defensive work.

Why this matters for supporters

For Argentina supporters, the five-player presence underlines that the team’s run to the final is still being recognized even after defeat. The names cover the spine of the side: goalkeeper, central defence, midfield and Messi in attack.

For fans choosing a team, the practical question is what standard to apply. Some voters may reward Spain’s title run. Others may focus on individual performances across the full tournament. Argentina’s candidates sit directly in that debate because the team reached the final but did not win it.

The ballot also gives fans a reason to revisit performances beyond the final score. Martinez’s goalkeeping, Romero and Lisandro Martinez’s defending, Enzo Fernandez’s midfield work and Messi’s scoring record are all separate cases rather than one shared argument.

What remains unclear

The Ole report does not provide the full candidate list in the available source context, nor does it state the voting deadline. It also does not confirm whether FIFA will publish the final fan-selected XI as a formal award or simply as an online vote result.

Readers who want to participate should check FIFA’s official voting page directly for the current list of candidates, account requirements, closing date and any rules on formations or repeated voting. Until then, the safest reading is that Ole has reported Argentina’s five named candidates and several notable points of debate around the ballot.

Source: https://www.ole.com.ar/mundial/mundial-2026/mundial2026-equipo-ideal-nominados-jugadores-argentinos_0_4OvX7TUtDZ.html