Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s coach, opted at the last minute to rest Messi totally in the team’s match against Bolivia.The match took played before daybreak on September 13 in La Paz, at an elevation of 3,650 meters above sea level, as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Without Messi, Argentina easily dominated the match against lesser opponent Bolivia for 90 minutes, thanks to seasoned star Di Maria in attack and quality players such as Nico Gonzalez, Julian Alvarez, MacAllister, Enzo Fernandez, or De Paul.
Messi arrived on the pitch with the rest of the team, but coach Lionel Scaloni did not register him to play until the final minute.
The Argentine squad overcame the obstacle thanks to good preparation for challenging playing circumstances at 3,650 meters above sea level.Even coach Lionel Scaloni is certain that Messi will not be registered to play, despite the fact that the superstar will fly to Bolivia with the entire team.
The Argentine squad started slowly before unleashing powerful strikes to overcome their opponents, with goals from Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Tagliafico in the 31st and 42nd minutes near the conclusion of the first half.
With a 2-0 lead, the Argentine squad maintained its advantage until the Bolivian team was reduced to 10 men in the 39th minute (defender Roberto Fernandez earned a red card and fled the field after fouling him). Romero, the midfielder).
Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring for Argentina
Argentina’s approach for defeating Bolivia seems logical.
As a result, Argentina’s players only played at a modest speed in the second half to safeguard the score.At the end of the game, striker Nico Gonzalez scored the game-winning goal 3-0, assisting coach Lionel Scaloni’s squad in achieving all of their objectives during their visit to Bolivia in La Paz.
With their victory over Bolivia, Argentina earned their second win in the South American 2026 World Cup qualifiers, topping the group with 6 points (scoring 4 goals and allowing none).Messi is resting and may return to Inter Miami Club for the MLS tournament match against Atlanta United on September 17 at 4:00 a.m.
