With qualification to the 2026 World Cup already safely in the bag, these last few qualifiers feel more like tune-ups for Argentina than full-blown competitive matches. Back-to-back tests against Chile and Colombia this week gave the reigning world champions the perfect chance to try things out and blood a few new faces – though there was no indication they were taking anything lightly across two hard-fought games.
Particularly in the latter. Even with Argentina fully booked up for next year's trip to the United States, Canada and Mexico, and Colombia all but over the line themselves, the teams were at each other's throats throughout in a fascinating game that interspersed wizardry and thuggery in just the right dosages.
Enzo Fernández perhaps went a little far in almost removing Kevin Castaño's head with the bottom of his boot and earned a well-deserved red card, while Lionel Messi's berating of an apparently shell-shocked James Rodríguez is bound to appear in thousands of memes from here to eternity. For once Messi was on the beastly side of affairs: the beauty came from two stunning goals, first by Luis Díaz for the visitors and then Thiago Almada who drilled a shot into the Colombia net to steal a point near the end.
Both goals scored by Argentina in this international week occurred while their captain was on the bench, a fact which should raise more smiles than frowns among Lionel Scaloni's staff. With the likes of Almada and Nico Paz – who starred during a scintillating first hour during the 1-0 win over Chile – regular parts of this squad, and a fresh contender in the shape of River wonderkid Franco Mastontuono making his debut, the Albiceleste have an embarrassment of riches in the creative department even without Messi.
When he is there, meanwhile, Leo continues to impose his aura on team-mates and opponents alike even if he doesn't have the legs right now to run a defence ragged for the entire 90 minutes. There are still a few question marks about this team, mainly on the right side of the backline and in the exact composition of Scaloni's midfield with so many worthy candidates to choose from, but this last round of games showed that next year's World Cup defence is progressing along the right tracks.
Boca & River take on the world
It was a busy week for young Mastontuono. The 17-year-old phenomenon went straight from the Training Facility the AFA owns in Ezeiza (TM) to a doctor's office, where he passed a medical and signed a nine-year contract with mighty Real Madrid. His last hurrah (can we say that when he's a teenager?) will come at the Club World Cup, with Madrid generous enough to let him head to the United States with River and possibly even face off against his new employers.
The Millonario and Boca Juniors are Argentina's sole representatives at this 32 team extravaganza, which kicks off on Saturday when Messi and Inter Miami take on Egypt's Al-Ahly. River's early preparations have mostly focused on squad numbers, allegedly asking for special permission not to include the Xeneize-linked No. 12 in their ranks. Boca, meanwhile, did manage to fill the empty spot on their bench in the grizzled shape of Miguel Ángel Russo, but will not have Leandro Paredes in their ranks for the tournament despite agreeing a homecoming for the Roma and Argentina midfielder. Paredes could yet join the party if Boca make it through the group stages, an admittedly tough prospect as they share Group C with Bayern and Benfica.
Stranger things have happened in football though, and such is the chaotic nature of life in La Boca that it would barely be a shock to see a team vanquished by Alianza Lima earlier this year turn around and deliver a beating to the German and Portuguese giants (really, it could happen!). River, meanwhile, face Champions League runners-up Inter, Mexico's Monterrey and Urawa Reds of Japan in the group stage.
The football world will watch attentively as the Argentine giants go for glory in this larger-than-life, revamped tournament, and a rare chance to test themselves against the best club sides on the planet.
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