Argentina-Burkina Faso friendly reportedly hangs in the balance as opponents remain stranded abroad

Argentina‘s second friendly of this international break is reportedly in jeopardy, with Burkina Faso’s national team still stranded in Morocco just days before the scheduled match in Buenos Aires.

The delegation was supposed to depart for Argentina on September 30, but the flight was canceled and the squad has remained stuck in Morocco since, with no solution in sight as of Friday.

According to reports from journalist Romain Molina, Burkina Faso’s players are reluctant to make the trip given how tight the timeline has become, with a flight from Morocco to Buenos Aires typically taking between 16 and 24 hours.

The friendly is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, leaving an increasingly narrow window to resolve the situation before it would need to be called off entirely. It’s worth noting this is not Lionel Messi’s farewell match — that one is still set for Tuesday, October 6, against Benin, also in Buenos Aires.

Burkina Faso’s football federation released a statement Friday acknowledging the situation and the obstacles still standing in the way of a resolution.

Burkina Faso’s federation statement

“The Burkinabe Football Federation wishes to inform the national public, supporters of the ‘Etalons’ and its partners about the situation currently facing the Burkinabe delegation in Morocco, as part of the trip to Buenos Aires for the international friendly match between Argentina and Burkina Faso, scheduled for Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 00:00 GMT.

The senior national team’s travel was disrupted after the charter company canceled, without prior notice, the flight originally scheduled for September 30. That cancellation forced a reorganization of the delegation’s travel itinerary.

Since the incident occurred, the Ministry of Sports, the Federation and the Embassy have mobilized to find, as quickly as possible, a solution that would allow the delegation to continue its journey to Buenos Aires. Several options have been explored to reschedule the departure, but certain constraints — particularly related to travel time — have generated reluctance among the players”.