Argentina hosts Colombia with Messi starting and several returning players | This Tuesday at the Monumental

Lionel Messi will return to play as a starter for the Argentine National Team. And that is perhaps the biggest attraction of the match this Tuesday at 9 PM against Colombia (21 points) at the Monumental Stadium for the 16th matchday of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Scaloni’s team (34) has already secured their spot for the biggest event next year, so they have nothing to lose from that perspective. However, the competitive spirit remains high, and every time the world champions and two-time America champions step onto the field, they do so to win and captivate. Especially when their captain and greatest glory will be there from the start.

In addition to Messi’s guaranteed return, who may not play the full ninety minutes, the national team coach will have Nicolás Otamendi, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernández, and Nico González available, all of whom have served their suspensions and could start along with Lautaro Martínez. Scaloni is considering four or five changes across all positions and will finalize the lineup shortly before the match. The only certainty is that Nicolás Tagliafico will not play due to reaching the limit of yellow cards in the match against Chile. However, it is still undecided who will replace him: Valentín Barco or Facundo Medina are competing for that spot.

Nicolas Paz, the young player from Real Madrid (on loan at Como in Italy) who will be a new teammate of Franco Mastantuono, finished with a muscle strain in Santiago and it is almost certain he will be on the bench. And speaking of Mastantuono, it is very likely he will have a few minutes to say goodbye to the Argentine crowd and the stadium that was his club. After the imminent Club World Cup in the United States, the 17-year-old will join Real Madrid, and we’ll have to see if Scaloni calls him up for the last window in September, when Argentina faces Venezuela in Buenos Aires and closes the qualifiers against Ecuador at high altitude in Quito.

One year exactly before the start of the World Cup, Argentina is navigating calm waters, while Colombia is traversing a stormy sea. The team currently led by Néstor Lorenzo has gone five matches without a win, with three losses and two draws, sitting in the last direct qualification spot. There is a serious risk of being tied with Venezuela if they lose at the Monumental and the Vinotinto beats Uruguay in Montevideo. A straightforward qualification has suddenly become complicated, with a real risk of having to play a playoff in March next year.

For this reason, Lorenzo, who was once 28 matches unbeaten until the loss to Argentina in the Copa América final, is now teetering in his position. It is believed in Colombia that the coach will not make it to the World Cup even if they eventually qualify. Lorenzo will not have forward Jhon Jader Durán (formerly of Aston Villa, now at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia), who has been dropped from the squad due to a back injury amidst rumors of a supposed altercation during halftime of Thursday’s match against Peru, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

His place will be taken by Luis Suárez (Almería, from the Second Division of Spain), who was called up at the last minute and had some minutes against Peru. Luis Díaz (Liverpool) will also be present, who missed the match against Peru due to accumulated yellow cards and will enter as a left winger. Just like Scaloni, but for exactly opposite reasons, Lorenzo will also announce the team shortly before the match.