Overview

• Argentina, already qualified for 2026, host Venezuela on Sept. 4 at the Monumental and visit Ecuador on Sept. 9 to finish CONMEBOL qualifying.
• Messi enters the window with 71 qualifiers, one shy of Iván Hurtado’s 72; he would set the all-time CONMEBOL appearances mark if he plays in both matches.
• TyC Sports reports Scaloni plans to rest Messi for the Ecuador match to protect his fitness given Inter Miami’s congested schedule.
• Messi said his family will be in Buenos Aires for what he called a very special game, as the AFA raised ticket prices to roughly $100–$500 for the occasion.
• Scaloni said he would have preferred not to play the Finalissima against Spain so close to the World Cup, and separate reports note 2030 co-hosts are widely expected—though not officially confirmed—to qualify automatically.