The Argentina national football team returned to training on Tuesday at the AFA training ground, focusing on three friendlies that will culminate in Lionel Messi's farewell match. Four players earned their first senior call-ups: Tobías Andrada, Leonel Flores, Valentín Gómez, and Román Vega.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni led the 10:00 am session, kicking off preparations for matches against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin. Scaloni stated that the final match, against Benin, will be marked by the farewell of Lionel Messi. The captain, along with Giovani Lo Celso, Rodrigo De Paul, and Nicolás Otamendi, will join the squad only for that final fixture, which will also be Otamendi's last for the national team.
The new faces
Tobías Andrada arrived with a minor muscle issue from River Plate's match against Huracán but is expected to train soon. Boca Juniors' Leonel Flores, Real Betis' Valentín Gómez, and Zenit's Román Vega complete the quartet of newcomers. Enzo Fernández is present despite a pending suspension date from his World Cup final red card, while Thiago Almada continues to recover from a muscle tear and cannot serve his ban.
The team's schedule is packed. They face Bolivia on Wednesday, 30 September at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes. Then, on Saturday, 3 October, they host Burkina Faso at the Monumental. The tour concludes on Tuesday, 6 October against Benin in Buenos Aires, for Messi's farewell. Scaloni will hold a press conference on Monday, 29 September.
These friendlies unfold amid uncertainty over Lionel Scaloni's future beyond December 2026, when his current contract expires. The manager had questioned his continuity after the World Cup. Meanwhile, the squad tops their World Cup qualifying group with a perfect nine points from three games. Messi, their top scorer this season with eight goals, aims to end his international career on a high. Fans can check the upcoming schedule and full squad list on our fixtures and squad pages.
The original report is at TyC Sports
