Lionel Messi and Argentina are entering the final stretch of their preparation ahead of their title defense at the 2026 World Cup. As the Albiceleste look to put the finishing touches on their buildup, the Argentine Football Association is reportedly working to arrange two additional friendlies.
Beyond the current March window, national teams will have one final international window available after the official squad lists are submitted, with friendlies to be played in North America in the weeks leading up to the tournament. While most federations have already locked in opponents for that window, Argentina has yet to finalize their plans.
As reported by TNT Sports‘ Maximiliano Grillo, Argentina is currently working on scheduling a friendly against Honduras and another against Serbia. The match against Honduras would be held on June 6 in Texas, while the game against the European side is expected to take place on June 9 in Alabama.
There had been excitement around the possibility of Messi facing Mexico in the June window, but despite the buzz, that matchup never came together officially and eventually fell through. The friendly against Honduras had also been floated as an option during the March international window, but both federations opted to push it back, with June emerging as the more suitable slot.
Lionel Messi of Argentina controls the ball during a training session.
The lack of high-quality opponents in Argentina’s recent windows has been a talking point over the past several weeks, particularly after the friendlies against Mauritania and Zambia. While Serbia, currently 39th in the FIFA rankings, and Honduras, sitting 65th, are not top-20 nations, the matchups will still provide a meaningful test for Messi and his teammates as the tournament approaches.
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Following the cancellation of the Finalissima and the trip to Qatar falling through, Argentina had to scramble to put together a schedule for the March window. The June friendlies now take on added importance as a proper preparation window, particularly the match against Serbia, which is expected to fall just one week before Argentina’s World Cup opener.
Argentina’s Group J debut against Algeria is scheduled for June 16 in Kansas City, one week after the anticipated friendly against Serbia. Their remaining group stage matches will follow against Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27, meaning the Albiceleste could be playing as many as five matches across the month of June before the knockout stage begins.
