Argentina team news
Argentina team news for the Benin friendly is about who was held back for 6 October 2026. Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso and Nicolás Otamendi were reported as available only for that Monumental match. The kick-off time is still to be confirmed. Lionel Scaloni is the coach.
| Fixture | Argentina vs Benin |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, 6 October 2026 |
| Kick-off | To be confirmed |
| Venue | Estadio Más Monumental, Buenos Aires |
The shape of the window
Argentina came out of the 2026 World Cup as runners-up, after a final loss to Spain. The September-October camp is three friendlies: Bolivia in Córdoba on 30 September, Burkina Faso at the Monumental on 3 October, and Benin at the Monumental on 6 October. Team news for Benin is not the same document as team news for Bolivia. Readers who mix them will “confirm” Messi in a game he was never called for.
LA NACION’s squad piece and the 27 September list are the spine of this page. The long pool has goalkeepers Emiliano Martínez, Juan Musso, Gerónimo Rulli and Santiago Beltrán; a defence that includes Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico and Otamendi; a midfield that includes Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, De Paul and Lo Celso; and forwards Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez and Messi. The full clubs and the rest of the names are on the squad page.
Injuries
Juan Foyth and Thiago Almada were reported as injury absences before the window. They do not appear on the 27 September list. No fresh injury bulletin for the players who are in the squad is being claimed here. Training knocks between now and 6 October are to be confirmed. A farewell camp can also rest a player without calling it an injury. Rest is team news too, and it should be labelled rest.
Suspensions
BBC Sport reported that Leandro Paredes received a 10-game suspension and Nahuel Molina a seven-match suspension after on-field incidents at the World Cup final. Neither is in the friendly squad list used here. That fits the bans still running. It is not a new disciplinary finding by this site. Enzo Fernández, by contrast, was described as banned only for Bolivia and free to face Burkina Faso and Benin. He is a likely part of the Benin midfield if he comes through the 3 October game without a problem. “If” matters. Three days is a short turnaround.
The Benin-only group
Holding Messi, De Paul, Lo Celso and Otamendi for the last night is the main selection story. It keeps the farewell group together and it keeps them out of the two matches that are not the tribute. Otamendi’s presence on that short list was widely read as his own goodbye. De Paul has been listed at Inter Miami, the same club as Messi, in the September squad notes. Lo Celso was listed at Real Betis. Whether all four start, or some appear from the bench for the photograph and a few minutes, is the lineup question. It is not answered yet.
Around them Scaloni has younger players in the wider squad: Franco Mastantuono, Gianluca Prestianni, Nico Paz, Giuliano Simeone and others. They can fill the Bolivia and Burkina Faso games and still appear against Benin if the seniors only play an hour. That is a plausible plan. It is not a confirmed plan.
What is not team news
A crowd graphic, a ticket sell-out and a TV report are not injuries or call-ups. They live on the ticket and TV pages. A rumoured shirt number or a fan vote for a captain is not team news unless AFA says it. The next real update is a training note from the camp, then the team sheet. Until those exist, this page should stay still rather than refresh itself with adjectives.
Between Burkina Faso and Benin
The most important team-news window is the 72 hours after 3 October. Players who start against Burkina Faso may be managed for the farewell, and players who were held back — Messi, De Paul, Lo Celso, Otamendi — will train with a group that has already played. Any muscle injury in that gap is more important than a tactical rumour. Update this page with the player’s name and the source, or leave it. A “blow for Scaloni” headline without a named injury is noise. The same rule applies to a rumoured captain’s armband or a shirt retirement. AFA can announce those. A fan account cannot, not on this page.
Questions people ask
What is the latest Argentina team news vs Benin?
Messi, De Paul, Lo Celso and Otamendi were listed only for the 6 October game. Almada and Foyth were reported injured. Kick-off is still to be confirmed.
Is Messi in the squad?
Yes, for the Benin friendly, according to AFA’s mid-September announcement and later squad lists. He was not in the Bolivia or Burkina Faso matches.
Who is suspended?
BBC Sport reported long bans for Paredes and Molina. They are not on the published friendly list. Enzo misses Bolivia only, per LA NACION, and can play Benin.
Who is the coach?
Lionel Scaloni.