Lionel Messi’s return to the Argentina national team is the biggest highlight of head coach Lionel Scaloni’s 27-man roster for the October international break. Scaloni named the squad expected to face Venezuela and Bolivia in the World Cup qualifiers scheduled for October. The Albiceleste are currently top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings after gathering 18 points from eight games including a 3-0 victory over Chile. The world champions will play away against Venezuela on October 10 before hosting Bolivia on October 15 as they look to cement their position at the top of the standings. The top six teams in CONMEBOL are guaranteed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup while the team in seventh place will have to earn its ticket through a playoff match
Messi’s return is coming after missing out for two months with an ankle injury he sustained during the Copa America final against Columbia in July. The Argentina captain returns to international action after featuring for his club Inter Miami since September 14.
Messi’s return notwithstanding, Argentina will have to play without Angel Di Maria who announced his retirement from international football after the Copa America. Another critical absence for Argentina is goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez who was handed a two-match ban by FIFA for offensive behavior involving acts that violate the principles of fair play.
Martinez was sanctioned for shoving the equipment of a camera operator after Argentina suffered a 2-1 loss to Columbia on September 10. While the Aston Villa goalkeeper has accepted the sanction, posting on X an apology to those he has offended, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has defended him, stating in a release that, “It should be noted that the Argentine Football Association expresses its absolute disagreement with the decision taken by the FIFA disciplinary committee.”
