Argentina Roster for 2026 Takes Shape

Los Pumas Head Coach, Felipe Contepomi has named his first roster for 2026. Those selected will train together in London, England from March 9-11. The roster is not a final list of players who will represent Argentina in international competition; indeed, captain Julián Montoya is not included.

In a busy year of international competition, Argentina face Scotland in Córdoba, Wales in San Juan and England in Santiago del Estero in July. The three matches are Nations Championship fixtures.

Los Pumas will subsequently play host to South Africa in Buenos Aires and to Australia for test matches in Jujuy and Mendoza in August and September.

International competition for 2026 will conclude with four test matches in November. Los Pumas face France, Ireland and Italy in away test matches before the finals weekend of the Nations Championship in London.

 

ARGENTINA ROSTER 2026 – FORWARDS

LOOSE HEAD PROP
Thomas Gallo (Benetton)
Mayco Vivas (Oyonnax)
Boris Wenger (Harlequins)*

HOOKER
Bautista Bernasconi (Benetton)
Ignacio Ruiz (Perpignan)

TIGHT HEAD PROP
Pedro Delgado (Harlequins)
Tomás Rapetti (Toulouse)
Joel Sclavi (La Rochelle)

SECOND-ROW
Matías Alemanno (Gloucester)
Efraín Elías (Toulouse)
Guido Petti (Harlequins)

FLANKER
Juan Martín González (Saracens)
Benjamín Grondona (Bristol Bears)
Santiago Grondona (Bristol Bears)
Marcos Kremer (Clermont)

N8
Joaquín Oviedo

 

ARGENTINA ROSTER 2026 – BACKS

SCRUM-HALF
Simón Benítez Cruz (Newcastle Red Bulls)
Gonzalo García (Zebre Parma)

FLY HALF
Tomás Albornoz (Toulon)
Gerónimo Prisciantelli (Racing 92)
Nicolás Roger (Benetton)

CENTER
Santiago Chocobares (Toulouse)
Lucio Cinti (Saracens)
Matías Moroni (Bristol Bears)
Justo Piccardo (Montpellier)

WING
Mateo Carreras (Bayonne)
Rodrigo Isgró (Harlequins)
Ignacio Mendy (Benetton)

FULLBACK
Santiago Carreras (Bath)
Benjamín Elizalde (Bristol Bears)
Juan Cruz Mallía (Toulouse) *

*Selected despite being injured.

 

PLAYERS NOT CONSIDERED

The roster exclusively consists of players who play their rugby in Europe. This means that serior player Pablo Matera is missing as are Super Rugby players Tomás Lavanini, Franco Molina, Agustín Moyano, and Leonel Oviedo.

There are also notable selection talking points. One example is the continued non-selection of Domingo Miotti. The Montpellier fly half is second in France for points scored this season. This comes despite three players named in the position as well as the utility, Santiago Carreras.

Three players have been included as loose head props. It comes with familiarity from 2025 which also means that both Ignacio Calles and Rodrigo Martínez miss out.

There is only one fit hooker named which comes with Ignacio Ruiz in despite injury. There is no place for Bayonne hooker, Facundo Bosch.

Three tight head props does not include Eduardo Bello who continues recovery from a long-term injury from the second half of 2024. Santiago Medrano and Lucio Sordoni have both been overlooked as has Francisco Coria Marchetti who featured for Argentina in November.

Regular starting tight head second-rower Pedro Rubiolo is missing. He is, nonetheless, expected to be playing for Argentina throughout 2026. The same cannot be said of Lucas Paulos who had one cap in 2025 but is seemingly on the outer.

Top 14 and Pro d2 back-rowers missing out include Rodrigo Bruni, Facundo Isa, Francisco Gorrissen and Bautista Pedemonte. There is also no place for Leicester Tiger, Joaquín Moro.

There is no recall for 80-cap center Jerónimo de la Fuente while regular winger Bautista Delguy had been left out with Ignacio Mendy included.