Following the cancellation of the Finalissima against the Spanish national team, the squad led by Lionel Scaloni will play a friendly match at home ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
The AFA confirmed that they will host the Guatemala National Football Team on March 31, although the stadium where the match will take place has not yet been determined.
How many times have they faced each other?
The governing body of Argentine soccer issued a statement confirming this match, though the venue remains unknown since the Monumental Stadium will be occupied by the AC/DC concert and, according to ESPN, the La Bombonera Stadium could be a strong contender. However, the possibility of the match being played elsewhere in the country has not been ruled out.
Meanwhile, the roster for this FIFA date is expected to be announced between Thursday and Friday of this week, though fewer than the 35 to 38 players Scaloni had prepared for the match against Spain are expected.
The match emerges as a key alternative following the cancellation of the highly anticipated intercontinental showdown between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi, but Luis Fernando Tena’s and Scaloni’s teams are already familiar with each other.
In fact, in his debut at the helm of the Albiceleste, the 47-year-old coach faced Guatemala on September 7, 2018, in Los Angeles, United States. The match ended 3-0 in favor of the Argentines with goals from Gonzalo Martínez (penalty), Giovani Lo Celso, and Giovanni Simeone.
Meanwhile, the most recent encounter between the two teams took place in the lead-up to the 2024 Copa América on June 14 of that year, with Argentina winning 4-1 in Washington, thanks to two goals each from Messi and Lautaro Martínez. Lisandro Martínez, with an own goal, scored for Guatemala.
Prior to these two matches, in June 2013, Argentina defeated Guatemala 4-0 on the road, when Alejandro Sabella was the head coach.
Meanwhile, after this FIFA international break, Argentina will only have two more matches in the United States. Just a few weeks before their opening match against Algeria on June 16, the reigning world champions will play two friendly matches in the US, although their opponents have not yet been determined.
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