World champions Argentina will start their title defense in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September after playing against Australia and Indonesia in the June friendlies. La Albiceleste will travel to China for facing the Socceroo before meeting Indonesia in Jakarta. The established members of the squad are called up including returnees and the ones seeking their national team debuts.
Previous results
Argentina 2-0 Panama - Estadio Mâs Monumental, Buenos Aires (24 March 2023)
Argentina 7-0 Curacao - Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero (29 March 2023)
Argentina began 2023 in a fine fashion with big wins over Panama and Curacao after their World Cup success in Qatar last year. Undoubtedly, Lionel Messi was thick of the action scoring four goals including a first-half hat-trick in the demolition of Curacao. Scaloni’s men had to work hard against Los Canaleros in the first match instead with Thiago Almada breaking the deadlock in the 78th minute from the rebound of Messi’s free-kick before the 35-year-old sealed the victory with another set-piece.
Argentina Squad
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Ajax), Walter Benitez (PSV)
Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), German Pezzella (Betis), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Facundo Medina (Lens)
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Juventus), Enzo Fernandes (Chelsea), Guido Rodriguez (Betis), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United), Giovani Lo Celso (Villarreal)
Attackers: Lucas Ocampos (Sevilla), Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Julian Alvarez (Manchester City), Giovanni Simeone (Napoli), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina)
Head Coach: Lionel Scaloni
Before his huge move to Inter Miami, Messi will link up with his international teammates for the friendlies acting as a warm-up for the World Cup qualifiers in three-month times. Recent Champions League winner, Julian Alvarez is expected to join the squad later. However, Lautaro Martinez has not been called up being the runners-up with Inter. There is the first call-up for PSV Eindhoven’s goalkeeper Walter Benitez. Manchester United’s exciting teenager Alejandro Garnacho is recalled to the squad and will be hoping to earn his national team debut this time having not got the chance in March due to an injury. The big miss for the squad is center-back and Ganacho’s clubmate, Lisandro Martinez who was ruled out of the season.
Fixtures
Thursday, 15 June 2023
Argentina vs Australia - Workers' Stadium, Beijing
Monday, 19 June 2023
Indonesia vs Argentina - Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta
Argentina will travel to China for the first friendly against Australia in a repeat of the last-16 encounter between the two in the 2022 World Cup. The nation in Asian Confederation gave a good note of them in the 2-1 defeat and almost gave the eventual champions the run for the money. It makes the game a little more interesting than just being a friendly. The trip to Jakarta for an organized friendly with Indonesia will conclude the international window in June for La Albiceleste.
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