Will Lionel Messi play tonight for Argentina vs Zambia in international friendly?
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Messi came off the bench in their previous fixture.
Lionel Messi began from the bench as Argentina overcame Mauritania at La Bombonera. In order to acquire minutes, find his rhythm, and reestablish a connection with La Albiceleste, the skipper entered the game in the second half.
On Friday, the defending World Cup champions narrowly overcame Mauritania, a lower-ranked foe (115th in the FIFA rankings) that has never advanced to the World Cup, 2-1.
Messi’s performance was decent but helpful. Coach Lionel Scaloni was able to test fresh tactical variations while his star player was able to return to the game’s flow. It was obvious why Messi wasn’t picked to start: to shield him from excessive workload.
All indications now suggest that Lionel Messi will start against Zambia in what may be his final game on Argentine territory while donning the world champions’ jersey.
Will Lionel Messi play tonight?
Lionel Messi will start the friendly match against Zambia tonight at La Bombonera, according to Lionel Scaloni, manager of the Argentina national team.
“Yes, I think he’ll start from the beginning tomorrow [against Zambia],” Scaloni said yesterday.
After being substituted in by Scaloni at halftime in Argentina’s 2-1 victory over Mauritania on March 27 (GMT) at La Bombonera, Messi is anticipated to make his first start of the March international window.
Scaloni stated that the 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be decided by evaluating each player’s performance during the friendlies against Mauritania and Zambia.
What time will the game start?
Wednesday, 1 April at 5:00 am IST.
Will Messi come off the bench or start against Zambia?
He is set to start the game, as confirmed by the manager.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.