Argentina could have Di Maria AND Messi in contention for their Olympic team

After Argentina U23s secured their place at next summer's Olympics football tournament, coach Javier Mascherano revealed that legends Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria could be part of his squad.

Messi, 36, and Di Maria, 35, may be in the latter stages of their careers, but their vast amount of experience could prove to be very useful in helping a talented young Argentina side in their quest for glory.

Speaking about the possibility of selecting his former Barcelona team-mate Messi, Mascherano said: 'Everyone already knows my relationship with Leo [Messi], the friendship I have.

'A player like him has the doors open to accompany us [at the Olympics], then it will obviously depend on him and his commitments.'

The tournament will take place in France from July 24 to August 10, with nations permitted to include a maximum of three overage players in their squad. The core of the squad will be selected from players born on or after January 1, 2001.

Here's a look at how Argentina could line up at the tournament.

Goalkeeper - Leandro Brey (Boca Juniors)

21-year-old Brey featured in every game as Argentina finished in second place in the Pre-Olympic tournament and made it through to the finals.

Brey has made one senior appearance for Boca Juniors since joining from Los Andes in 2022.

Right-back - Gonzalo Lujan (San Lorenzo)

Lujan has also been heavily involved for the Under-23s and also possesses a considerable amount of senior experience.

The 22-year-old defender has made 61 appearances for Argentina first division side San Lorenzo.

Centre-back - Marco Di Cesare (Racing Club)

A defender who was previously at Argentinos Juniors, Di Cesare signed for Racing Club in the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old, who is also eligible to represent