Argentina v Bolivia: International friendly at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes on October 1

Argentina will host Bolivia in an international friendly at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes on October 1 (IST). The match is Argentina's first outing since their FIFA World Cup 2026 final defeat and features Lionel Messi in the squad.

Argentina arrived off a defeatless World Cup campaign and had aimed for back-to-back World Cup golds, a run ended by Spain in the final. Following Lionel Messi’s farewell game, Cristian Romero is set to captain the side, and Argentina will have home advantage for the fixture.

Bolivia enter the friendly under pressure after conceding 10 goals across their last three matches and suffering defeats in all of them. The squad, managed by Óscar Villegas, will face the challenge of being the away team and is expected to focus on ball retention to minimise mistakes.

Lionel Messi was Argentina’s top performer during the recent World Cup campaign, scoring eight goals and providing four assists in eight matches. The 39-year-old is once again expected to play a central role for his country and will be a key presence in attack.

Óscar López, the 20-year-old from Getafe B, has been named in Bolivia’s squad and is described as a midfield controller who can also contribute in the final third. The player will be tasked with helping Bolivia cope with Argentina’s attacking threats.

Argentina could be without Juan Foyth and Nicolas Tagliafico due to fitness concerns, while Bolivia’s squad was reported as fully fit for the friendly. Projected lineups published are: Emiliano Martinez (GK); Giay, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Barco; Simeone, Paz, Fernandez, Gonzalez; Messi, Alvarez for Argentina, and Viscarra (GK); Medina, Torrez, Haquin, Fernandez; Cuellar, Lopez, Lima; Terceros, Martinez, Centella for Bolivia.

Broadcast arrangements list TyC Sports Argentina, Telefe Argentina, TyC Sports Play and mitelefe among carriers in Argentina, with ViX and TUDN Radio also offering coverage; Khel Now advises following its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels or downloading the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and joining its Telegram community for further updates.