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Argentina will face Guatemala on March 31 after plans for the Finalissima against Spain were scrapped, leaving Lionel Messi without the expected March meeting with Lamine Yamal. The friendly will be played in Argentina during the March international break and will follow what the national team described as a week of intensive training.
The Finalissima had been scheduled for March 27 in Qatar, but the match was canceled on Sunday because of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Argentina had also rejected a UEFA proposal to move the game to the Bernabéu, ending hopes of a first competitive meeting between Messi and Yamal.
Argentina confirmed the replacement fixture on Tuesday, giving Lionel Scaloni’s squad at least one match before the World Cup this summer. The change leaves Argentina with a far less demanding opponent than Spain, which had been positioned as a major test for the reigning world champions.
Guatemala did not qualify for the tournament being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, so the new fixture does not carry the same competitive weight. That matters for Argentina because March had been expected to provide a high-level tune-up before the title defence begins.
Argentina had previously used strong opposition in the build-up to the 2022 World Cup, facing Germany, Italy and Estonia before going on to win the tournament in Qatar. Brazil is also taking a demanding route this March with matches against France and Croatia, while the United States has games scheduled against Belgium and Portugal.
Messi’s availability appears less concerning than it did at the weekend. The forward did not travel with Inter Miami to Charlotte, but assistant manager Javier Morales said the absence was only precautionary as the club managed the 38-year-old’s workload before the second leg against Nashville SC.
If no further issues emerge before the international window, Messi is expected to feature against Guatemala in what is currently Argentina’s only scheduled March warm-up.