Lionel Messi leads Argentina squad for Guatemala friendly

"The Argentina Football Association (AFA) scheduled the last-minute game after the official cancellation of the Finalissima. The match between Argentina, the winners of the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024, and Spain, the champions of the UEFA EURO 2024, was originally scheduled to be played in Qatar on March 27 before being canceled due to the ongoing conflict in the region."

"CONMEBOL confirmed in a statement that all involved parties discussed other dates and venues for the match but could not reach an agreement. The release emphasized that the AFA on Saturday 'accepted the idea without objection, except for the date, suggesting March 31. Unfortunately, UEFA announced that holding the match on the 31st -- just four days later than the original proposal -- was not possible, and the Finalissima was cancelled.'"

"Following the cancellation of the Finalissima, Lionel Scaloni's team will travel to Argentina for a week of intensive training and will play a friendly match against Guatemala on Tuesday, March 31."

Argentina announced a 28-player roster for a friendly match against Guatemala on March 31 at Boca Juniors' La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires. Captain Lionel Messi will lead the team alongside Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul and other regulars including Julián Álvarez, Emiliano Martínez, Enzo Fernández, and Leandro Paredes. The match was scheduled after the cancellation of the Finalissima between Argentina and Spain, originally planned for March 27 in Qatar. The cancellation resulted from the ongoing regional conflict and inability of involved parties to agree on alternative dates and venues. Argentina's Football Association arranged the Guatemala friendly as a replacement fixture during the March international window.

Read at ESPN.com