Overview
- Argentina will host Venezuela on September 4 at the Monumental (8:30 p.m.) and visit Ecuador in Guayaquil on September 9 (8 p.m.) to close CONMEBOL qualifying.
- Lionel Messi said the September 4 match will be his last of Eliminatorias, prompting a swift ticket sellout and plans for his family to attend.
- Lionel Scaloni named a definitive squad that includes the first senior call-up for Palmeiras striker José Manuel López, who described the news as a joyful surprise.
- Scaloni urged fans to enjoy Messi’s present without rushing farewells and visited Unión de Santa Fe’s training at the AFA facility as he monitors domestic form.
- AFA president Claudio Tapia confirmed October friendlies in the United States—Venezuela in Miami and Puerto Rico in Chicago—and outlined a November tour with games slated in Luanda and Kerala with opponents to be determined.