Lionel Messi will be playing one of his final friendly matches with the Argentina national team ahead of what is expected to be his last World Cup in 2026. With the friendly against Venezuela approaching, the forward has received an important boost as head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed that a key player has fully recovered from injury.
For the October international break, Argentina will first tour the U.S. to face Venezuela in Miami on Friday, followed by a matchup against Puerto Rico in Chicago on Monday. While the city and date for the latter game are still being finalized, Messi will have one of his star teammates back in the squad.
For the game against Venezuela, Scaloni revealed that goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez is available for selection. His participation had been in doubt after suffering a calf bruise, which forced him to miss Argentina’s training sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Asked about Martínez’s condition during a Thursday press conference, Scaloni provided the update: “In Emiliano’s case, yes, he’s fit to play. He’s been doing individual work, has also trained with Martin (Tocalli, goalkeeper coach) at times, and is available. We’ll see if he actually plays, but he is available.”
Emiliano Martínez of Argentina waves fans during warm-ups.
The head coach also addressed left-back Marcos Acuña, who sustained an injury during his weekend match with River Plate. “In Marcos’s case, we preferred not to take any risks. He’s doing a full individual training program, working separately because he arrived with an issue, and we don’t want to risk him. We’ll see for the second match if he’s in condition. These are games to assess players, not to take risks with anyone,” the coach stated.
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Questions remain over whether Scaloni will field his strongest XI or rotate the squad for the friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico. One thing is certain: Martínez will now be an option between the posts, something that was in doubt just days ago.
Several players could make their debut with Argentina
With the CONMEBOL qualifiers completed and Argentina already securing their ticket to the 2026 World Cup, the team is now using these friendlies to finalize its squad. With this in mind, Scaloni has called up several players who could make their national team debut after strong club performances.
Some local league players have been included, such as goalkeeper Facundo Cambeses and 21-year-old defender Lautaro Rivero, who earned a spot due to the absence of a left-footed centerback following Lisandro Martínez’s injury. Scaloni has also highlighted Palmeiras duo midfielder Aníbal Moreno and striker José Manuel López, who are in impressive form in Brazil and currently competing in the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores.
