The main surprise in Argentina's roster for the upcoming European preparation before the World Championship in the Philippines is the return of setter Luciano De Cecco.

Coach Marcelo Mendez announced today 15 players for the series of friendly matches in Europe. One of them will be dropped before the start of the championship.

De Cecco did not participate in the last edition of the Nations League (VNL), after which he joined a club competition in Argentina, after his contract with Modena ended. In the 2025/26 season, the 37-year-old setter will play for Częstochowa in the Polish PlusLiga.

Between August 29 and 31, Argentina will participate in the Wagner Memorial – a four-team tournament in Poland against the hosts, Brazil, and Serbia. The program of "Los Gladiadores" also includes other friendly matches, including again against the Brazilian national team.

Argentina national team roster:

Setters

• Luciano De Cecco

• Matias Giraudo

• Matias Sanchez

Opposites

• Pablo Kukartsev

• German Gomez

Outside Hitters

• Jan Martinez

• Luciano Palonsky

• Manu Armoa

• Luciano Vincentin

• Ignacio Luengas

Middle Blockers

• Agustin Loser

• Nicolas Zerba

• Joaquim Gallego

• Gustavo Maciel

Libero

• Santiago Danani

De Cecco's return to the national team is expected to provide experience and stability in distribution, especially before the important tournament in the Philippines.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov