[REVISION HISTORY]

Argentina and Bolivia friendly match updates

Updated 9 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-24 21:10 UTC → 2026-09-29 01:33 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has classified upcoming friendly matches against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin as ‘First-Level International Friendlies.’ This designation allows players serving suspensions following the World Cup final to reduce their penalty durations, including Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, and Thiago Almada. For the FIFA international window running from September 30 to October 6, head coach Lionel Scaloni has announced an expanded squad. Domestic additions include Leonel Flores (Boca Juniors), Tomás Palacios (Estudiantes de La Plata), Tobías Andrada (River Plate), Santiago Beltrán (River Plate), Thiago Almada (River Plate), and Nicolás Otamendi (River Plate), with Otamendi specifically summoned for the October 6 fixture. Three players based abroad have also been called up: Santiago Simón (Toluca), Ezequiel Fernández (Bayer Leverkusen), and Valentín Gómez (Real Betis). However, the AFA has confirmed that Thiago Almada and Juan Foyth will miss the upcoming series. Almada, a midfielder for River Plate, suffered a grade 1 quadriceps tear during a match against Huracán, while Foyth, a defender for Villarreal, was withdrawn due to persistent muscular discomfort. The match against ~~Benin~~ Bolivia is ~~noted as being significant, as it will serve as Lionel Messi’s official international retirement match. Ticket sales for these fixtures will be managed through~~ scheduled to take place at the ~~Deportick platform. Meanwhile, Bolivia~~ Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium in Córdoba, marking the Bolivian national ~~team coach~~ team’s return to the venue after ten years. The last official match at this stadium occurred in March 2016 during World Cup qualifiers. While the Bolivian squad under manager Óscar Villegas ~~has announced a 26-player squad for the September 30 match, featuring~~ features a young demographic with an average age of 23.81 ~~years. To manage squad rotation, Scaloni has announced that Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso, and Nicolás Otamendi will only join~~ years, Argentina’s roster includes goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli, who was on the ~~team for~~ bench during the ~~final~~ previous visit to Córdoba. The match against Benin ~~to provide younger players more opportunities in earlier fixtures. Additionally, midfielder Enzo Fernández~~ is noted as being significant, as it will ~~miss the match against Bolivia due to a suspension. During tactical training, Scaloni has tested new combinations, including a dual-striker formation featuring Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez.~~ serve as Lionel Messi’s official international retirement match.

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