Overview

• Coach Lionel Scaloni has named his squad for the final CONMEBOL qualifying window and included Lionel Messi.
• Argentina hosts Venezuela at the Estadio Monumental on Sept. 4 and visits Ecuador on Sept. 9, its last official matches before the World Cup.
• The suggestion that Sept. 4 may be Messi’s last competitive appearance in Argentina stems from the calendar rather than any retirement announcement.
• The Argentine Football Association has not announced a formal homage, and Messi has not declared an international retirement.
• If this is his final official home game, some reports count 48 official national-team appearances in Argentina with 26 official victories.