La Albiceleste will play at home against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin between September 30 and October 6
The delay in confirmation from the governing body of Argentine football arose because they were waiting for a favorable response from FIFA on a central issue. The organization needed to determine whether the three matches would be recognized as Class A matches, a condition that has statistical and, above all, sporting implications. According to reports, the international body has given the green light to classify these matches in that way.
With this measure, Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina, and Thiago Almada will be able to start serving their suspension dates resulting from the fight that occurred during the World Cup final. Additionally, these friendlies would add points to the FIFA ranking and to the historical records of the players with the National Team.
Regarding the squad, the coaching staff has already made a broad reservation of players to meet regulatory requirements. The call-up could begin to work between Tuesday, September 22, and Wednesday, September 23 at the Ezeiza training ground, and an extensive list is expected, with the presence of a good part of the world runners-up, although there would also be room for new faces and young players looking to earn a spot.
Beyond the sports planning, all eyes will be on Lionel Messi. The captain announced his retirement from the Argentine National Team after the final, closing an era of more than two decades with the albiceleste jersey. Despite this news, the AFA maintains the hope that he can participate in one of these matches and say a final goodbye to the Argentine public.
After a World Cup that marked the end of an era, the Argentine National Team begins to project what’s next. The team of Lionel Scaloni has already defined three friendlies for the upcoming FIFA FIFA, all on Argentine soil.
This Tuesday, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) made the official announcement confirming the schedule of the matches and their venues. The debut of this new stage is expected to be on Wednesday, September 30, when the Albiceleste hosts Bolivia at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium. Then, the squad would move to Buenos Aires to complete the tour. It is important to note that, due to FIFA sanctions for various situations during the World Cup, the first match will have a 50% capacity limit, while the second is on hold and subject to a trial period, so the 50% capacity restriction will only apply if incidents or discriminatory chants occur again.
Finally, on Saturday, October 3, they would face Burkina Faso and, three days later, on Tuesday, October 6, they would close the series against Benin, both matches at the Monumental.
Setting aside the match against a familiar opponent like the Bolivian national team, the clashes against the two African teams will have a unique character, as Argentina has never faced either of them before. A similar situation occurred during the last international window in March, when the national team faced Zambia and Mauritania for the first time.
