Argentina to begin post-Messi era with Bolivia friendly

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Argentina’s post-Lionel Messi era will begin with a friendly against Bolivia on September 30, followed by matches against Burkina Faso and Benin, the Argentine football association said on Tuesday.

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The game against Bolivia will take place in Cordoba, while River Plate’s Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires will stage the two fixtures against the African sides on October 3 and 6.

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Last month FIFA ordered Argentina to play their next home match with capacity reduced to 50 percent for breaches of its disciplinary code relating to using a sports event for making demonstrations of a non-sporting nature.

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After Argentina beat England 2-1 in a tense World Cup semi-final in July, several players held up a banner saying: “The Falklands are Argentine”.

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The friendlies are also expected to count towards suspensions handed down following incidents after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat by Spain.

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Midfielder Leandro Paredes received a 10-match ban, while defender Nahuel Molina was suspended for seven games and Thiago Almada for one.

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Messi in August ended a two-decade international career that included winning the 2022 World Cup and Copa America triumphs in 2021 and 2024.

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I have nothing more to give, Messi haf announced retirement from national team on August 31 shortly after the world cup final loss to Spain.n

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AFP

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