Following the cancellation of the Finalissima against Spain in Qatar, world champions Argentina faced a complication. With no prestigious opponent available to replace the called-off match, the final stage of their preparation for their title defence would have been easier.
Since winning the World Cup in 2022, the only notable sides the Albiceleste have faced have been Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay – their rivals in the South American qualifiers and the 2024 Copa América. Otherwise, their run of fixtures otherwise has been limited to friendlies against lower-level sides.
That lack of competitive bite is reflected in the March international window, where Argentina – second in the FIFA world rankings – will host the relatively weak Mauritania (115th) and Zambia (91st) at La Bombonera
Both opponents failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Lesser opponents
Argentina's friendlies against lower-ranked sides differ markedly from those to be played by Brazil and Colombia, who will each face France and Croatia respectively. Neighbouring Uruguay are set to take on England and Algeria during this FIFA window.
Ecuador, who have qualified for the World Cup, will also face sterner tests against Morocco and the Netherlands, top-tier teams that will be present at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Full-back Nicolás Tagliafico, who plays his club football for Olympique Lyonnais, expressed regret upon arriving in Buenos Aires at not being able to face Spain. He said that “playing that kind of match is good for everyone – players always want those games, but it didn’t happen, so we have to focus on what we have.”
Enzo Fernández, a midfielder at Chelsea, recalled that “prior to the [Qatar 2022] World Cup we didn’t have particularly demanding friendlies either. But we try to approach every match with the same level of responsibility.”
In the same vein, full-back Valentín Barco of Strasbourg remarked that “any opponent is useful for preparation. Every national side has its own quality and good players, so we will approach it in the best possible way.”
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) was rigid in its negotiations with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over the Finalissima, particularly regarding the venue. But the decision to call off the match has also exposed shortcomings in securing high-quality opposition following the cancellation of the clash with the European champions.
In their last 11 friendlies, Argentina have defeated Panama (2–0), Curaçao (7–0), Australia (2–0), Indonesia (2–0), El Salvador (3–0), Costa Rica (3–1), Ecuador (1–0), Guatemala (4–1), Venezuela (1–0), Puerto Rico (6–0) and Angola (2–0), scoring 33 goals and conceding just two.
The contrast with other contenders, including Brazil, is clear. The Seleção have faced Senegal, Japan, the United States, South Korea, Spain, England and Mexico in recent months, several of which are ranked in the FIFA top 20.
'It isn't easy'
A few months ago, when asked about the lack of top-tier opponents, head coach Lionel Scaloni said that “it isn’t easy for teams to come and play here [in Argentina] and we don’t have the possibility of facing European sides because of the Nations League.”
However, Scaloni dismissed any suggestion of complacency against lower-level sides, stressing that “these matches are called friendlies, but that is only in name – they have to be played and we must give our maximum."
"The players need to prove themselves to the manager in order to make the World Cup squad," he added.
Some sections of the press, however, have taken a more critical view.
“Since winning in Qatar 2022, every friendly has followed the same pattern: sporting irrelevance of the opponents and financial appetite. As a result, they have only accumulated meaningless matches. It would have been better to face Spain at the Bernabéu than Curaçao, Indonesia or Puerto Rico in Argentina,” argued Cristian Grosso, editor of the La Nación daily.
After these friendlies in Buenos Aires – the last on Argentine soil and perhaps one of the final opportunities for local supporters to see Lionel Messi play in person – the world champions are scheduled to play two further warm-up matches in the United States, shortly before their World Cup debut.
Earlier this year, AFA announced that Argentina would face Honduras and Mexico in June, but those fixtures were cancelled too.
The world champions are now seeking opponents to complete their preparations for the defence of the title won in Qatar.
– TIMES/AFP
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