According to Olé, the Argentine national team is actively preparing for its first friendly match after the 2024 Copa América. Argentina will face Bolivia at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba. The team is currently training, and head coach Scaloni will give a press conference. The starting lineup for the match will then be confirmed, after which the team will travel to Córdoba.

Argentina's first match after Copa América: Scaloni begins rebuilding

Seventy-three days after losing to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, the Argentine national team will play again. On September 30 at 8:00 PM local time (CEST), Argentina will face Bolivia at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba.

Messi will be absent from this match, while Scaloni continues to lead the team amid uncertainty about his coaching future. After a weekend break, the Argentine squad resumed training at the Ezeiza training base on Monday afternoon local time. On Tuesday, Scaloni will attend the pre-match press conference, and after training, the team will travel to Córdoba for final preparations.

This marks the beginning of Scaloni's rebuilding of the Argentine team. Messi and Otamendi are no longer in the squad, and it remains to be seen whether Paredes, who must serve a 10-match suspension, will be available. Additionally, Scaloni did not call up De Paul and Lo Celso for this match.

In last Thursday's training session, Scaloni conducted his first starting lineup drill since the World Cup. Martínez was in goal, with a backline of Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, and Facundo Medina; Palacios and Mac Allister formed the midfield partnership, with Mastantuono and Nico Paz in attacking midfield roles, and Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez leading the attack.

Notably, Enzo Fernández did not feature in this starting lineup; he was sent off with a red card in Argentina's final World Cup match.

Scaloni on contract renewal: Willing to continue, but hasn't met with Tapia

Ahead of Argentina's first match after the Copa América, head coach Scaloni discussed his contract situation. He stated that he has not yet met with Argentine Football Association President Tapia, and there has been no progress regarding his future.

Scaloni said: "The week after the final was very special and beautiful. I had time to relax and recover from the disappointment of not winning the World Cup, but overall, I feel calm about our results. As for my personal situation, there's nothing new yet. I had planned to meet with the president yesterday, but I couldn't because of a dentist appointment, and today he's in Paraguay. We will be in touch, and when there's news to share, we'll announce it. Nothing has changed so far."

Regarding squad changes, Scaloni stated that personnel updates after a major tournament are natural: "The call-up list itself sends a signal—it's what any coach would do. After the World Cup, it's a good opportunity to make some changes. There are many young players in the team now, and what we're doing is the same as in 2018, when we didn't know if we'd continue. We work for the national team, not for personal reasons. Everything takes time, and we hope these young players will continue developing."

On the Copa América final defeat, Scaloni reflected: "Not winning the trophy was a big disappointment; we were just one step away. But the position I'm in now is a dream, and that won't change."

He added that he still needs to speak with Tapia: "Next, I need to sit down and talk with the president, but that hasn't happened yet. So any statements circulating externally are not accurate; everything remains as it was, and our focus now is to give these young players playing time."

Scaloni directly expressed his desire to continue: "I really want to stay here, but there are many aspects to discuss, and I need to sit down with the president. After such a special World Cup, people always reassess things, and we'll see what happens."

Scaloni also addressed Messi's absence from this squad, expressing his wish to personally witness the captain's farewell.

He said: "I think a player like Messi deserves a proper farewell ceremony. I did my part because I hoped to be present for his farewell, and I don't know if I'll still be here in the future. We worked together to make this happen, and he also made an effort."

"If a tribute is to be held for him, now is the most appropriate time to show him how much everyone loves him. I spoke with him and hoped to convince him to return, because no one knows what will happen in the future, and he understood. The Argentine Football Association also made an effort; it's a beautiful thing, and he deserves all of it."

Regarding various "conspiracy theories" circulating, Scaloni dismissed them: "It's meaningless."

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