This is Argentina's 2nd match in the FIFA Days of March 2026. Messi is expected to start his first match in this training camp with the Argentine national team, after being substituted by Scaloni in the second half of the 2-1 victory over Mauritania on March 27 at La Bombonera.
Messi will start tomorrow. I want Julian and Nico Gonzalez to rest a bit, to create opportunities for other players. We hope the team will show the form that we all want," Scaloni said.
Messi is the captain of the Argentine national team, having scored 115 international goals for the national team. Recently, coach Scaloni was unsure about this superstar's ability to participate in the 2026 World Cup. However, according to this strategist, the whole of Argentina wants Messi to participate in the upcoming tournament.
He shared: "If Messi decides to go to the World Cup, let him enjoy it. I will never be bored saying this, these are unforgettable moments. Of course, we all know he is playing. Everyone wants to watch him train and play".
Messi has participated in 5 World Cups and is holding the record for the most matches played in this arena with 26 appearances, surpassing the achievements of Lothar Matthaus (25 matches), Miroslav Klose (24 matches). If he participates in the 2026 World Cup, he will have the 6th time participating in this arena and have the opportunity to raise his personal record.
Coach Lionel Scaloni said that he has submitted the preliminary list of 55 players of the Argentine national team to the Argentine Football Association (AFA), for them to submit to FIFA. Even the final list of 26 players for the 2026 World Cup has almost been determined by this strategy. The two friendly matches against Mauritania and Zambia are an opportunity for Scaloni to make final assessments for the selection of the squad.
Argentina, the world champions of 1978, 1986 and 2022, will debut at the 2026 World Cup against Algeria on June 16 in Group J in Kansas City. They will then face Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27.
According to Scaloni, he and his colleagues have watched some matches of the Austrian and Algerian national teams, but have not watched any matches of Jordan - a team participating in the World Cup for the first time. This strategist emphasized that the 2026 World Cup will also mark the farewell of some veteran players to the national team, including center-back Otamendi.
The Argentina vs Zambia match will take place at 6:15 a.m. on April 1.
