Overview
- More than 20,000 fans watched the champions train at Elche’s Martínez Valero after free tickets were snapped up and the club’s site reportedly crashed.
- The squad flew to Luanda after the session, with Angola vs. Argentina set for Friday at 13:00 (Argentina time) at Estadio 11 de Novembro.
- Multiple outlets report Messi is expected to start alongside Lautaro Martínez, with Gerónimo Rulli in goal and regulars such as Otamendi, Tagliafico, De Paul and Thiago Almada in the XI.
- Scaloni aims to give minutes to most call-ups, offering opportunities to newer faces including José Manuel “Flaco” López and Joaquín Panichelli.
- Franco Mastantuono, 18, joined the camp in Alicante despite pubalgia and will not travel to Angola, while a proposed March 2026 friendly with France remains unconfirmed and conditional.