Lionel Scaloni, the head coach of the Argentina national team, has confirmed that Lionel Messi will be in the starting lineup for the friendly match against Zambia on Tuesday evening at La Bombonera.
“Yes, I believe he’ll start from the begining tomorrow [against Zambia],” Scaloni stated.
This match will mark Messi’s first start of the March international window, after he played as a substitute in the second half of Argentina’s 2-1 win over Mauritania on March 27 at the same venue.
Scaloni plans to utilize the friendly matches against Mauritania and Zambia to finalize the 26-player roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He intends to evaluate each player’s performance carefully before making his final selections.
“Regarding the 26-player list [for the World Cup], I think we have a considerable amount of players to choose from. We need to start eliminating options based on their performances. There’s no other way,” Scaloni explained.
The current World Cup champions edged past Mauritania, a team ranked 115th in the FIFA standings and yet to qualify for the World Cup, with a narrow 2-1 victory.
“The last game should have raised some concerns; these are aspects that I, as a head coach, begin to scrutinize leading up to our final decisions,” Scaloni remarked.
“We will prioritize the team’s success and make decisions accordingly. I have a fairly clear picture of the roster, but if the performances do not meet expectations, we will consider changes to ensure we have the best squad possible.”
Despite Scaloni’s earlier remarks suggesting that Messi hasn’t confirmed his participation in the World Cup, he emphasized the hope that the legendary player will join the team for the upcoming tournament.
“The key is for him to come and enjoy it. We want him to relish his experience at the World Cup, which may theoretically be his last, but I wouldn’t want to make any definitive statements about that. It’s all about his enjoyment,” Scaloni said.
“I believe it’s not just Argentines who wish to see him play; everyone wants to witness his talent. They are eager to see him train and take to the field, and that’s the common wish we all share.”
Argentina, champions in 1978, 1986, and 2022, will kick off their World Cup journey against Algeria on June 16 in Group J in Kansas City. They will subsequently face Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27.
This report includes information from The Associated Press.