Lionel Messi heads Argentina team for exhibition match against Guatemala.
Captain Lionel Messi will head the 28-player Argentina squad as the World Cup champions take on Guatemala in a friendly match on March 31 at Boca Juniors’ La Bombonera in Buenos Aires.
Messi, along with his Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, will be included in the squad, which was revealed on Wednesday, featuring regulars such as Julián Álvarez, Emiliano Martínez, Enzo Fernández, and Leandro Paredes.
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The Argentina Football Association (AFA) arranged this last-minute match following the official cancellation of the Finalissima.
The encounter between Argentina, the victors of the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024, and Spain, the UEFA EURO 2024 champions, was initially set to take place in Qatar on March 27 but was called off due to the ongoing conflict in the area.
#SelecciónMayor 📋Lista de convocados por el entrenador Lionel Scaloni para la Fecha FIFA de marzo.
¡Vamos Argentina! 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/dzyWhNClTD
— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) March 18, 2026
CONMEBOL confirmed in a statement that all parties involved discussed alternative dates and locations for the match but were unable to reach a consensus.
The statement highlighted that the AFA on Saturday “accepted the idea without objection, except for the date, proposing March 31. Unfortunately, UEFA announced that holding the match on the 31st — just four days later than the original proposal — was not feasible, leading to the cancellation of the Finalissima.”
Argentina sought to secure an opponent for the upcoming March international window.
“In light of the Finalissima’s cancellation, Lionel Scaloni’s squad will return to Argentina for a week of rigorous training and will compete in a friendly match against Guatemala on Tuesday, March 31,” stated the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
This friendly is currently the only match Argentina has confirmed prior to defending its FIFA World Cup title. Argentina will commence World Cup group play against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16, followed by matches against Austria and Jordan.
The Argentina national team last competed on Nov. 14, achieving a 2-0 victory over Angola in a friendly.
