BUENOS AIRES : Argentina return to international action on Thursday against CONMEBOL rivals Bolivia, looking to move on from the disappointment of their dramatic extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

The match carries added significance as Argentina begin preparing for life without Lionel Messi, who is set to make his final appearance for the national team against Benin at the Estadio Monumental on Tuesday, October 6.

Messi, now 39, played a central role in Argentina’s World Cup campaign, but his absence against Bolivia offers an early glimpse of how Lionel Scaloni plans to shape the team beyond the era of its legendary captain.

Scaloni remains in charge and is reportedly open to negotiating a new contract, with his current deal due to expire at the end of the year.

Under Scaloni, Argentina have transformed from a side that repeatedly fell short in major competitions into one of the most consistent teams in international football.

Argentina had won 14 consecutive matches before Spain ended their World Cup title defence. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time after Argentina were reduced to 10 men at MetLife Stadium.

The aftermath of the final also brought controversy, with the conduct of some Argentine players drawing widespread criticism and resulting in lengthy suspensions for Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina.

Scaloni must now show that Argentina can remain competitive without relying heavily on Messi.

Nicolas Paz is expected to operate behind Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez in attack, while Valentin Barco and Matias Soule are competing for a place in the advanced midfield role.

Exequiel Palacios is expected to replace Enzo Fernandez and partner Alexis Mac Allister in midfield.

At the back, Agustin Giay and Facundo Medina could start at full-back, although Medina and Roman Vega are also competing for the left-back position. Emiliano Martinez, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez are expected to feature.

Bolivia arrive in Cordoba in poor form following a difficult run of results.

After losing 2-1 to Iraq in the intercontinental World Cup play-off at the end of March, Bolivia suffered three consecutive defeats against Scotland, Algeria and Paraguay.

They failed to score in all three matches while conceding 10 goals.

Coach Oscar Villegas has yet to confirm his starting XI, but Bolivia face a major challenge against an Argentina side ranked 75 places above them in the FIFA rankings.

Argentina have won nine of their last 10 meetings with Bolivia and have kept clean sheets in their previous three encounters.

For Argentina, Thursday’s match represents an opportunity to recover from the disappointment of the World Cup final and start building towards a future without Messi. For Bolivia, the challenge will be to withstand Argentina’s pressure, rediscover their attacking threat and bring an end to their poor run of form.

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