Argentina Confirms Friendlies Against Mauritania and Zambia Ahead of 2026 World Cup
The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will continue its preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with friendly matches against Mauritania and Zambia in March. Both matches will be held at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires.
Match Schedule
- March 27: Argentina vs. Mauritania
- March 31: Argentina vs. Zambia
Squad Updates
Lionel Scaloni has added two players to the Argentina squad for these upcoming friendlies: Franco Mastantuono, currently playing for Real Madrid, and Joaquín Panichelli, who plays for Racing de Estrasburgo. Both players will join the rest of the squad on Monday for training.
Squad List
Goalkeepers
- Emiliano Martínez
- Gerónimo Rulli
- Juan Musso
Defenders
- Nahuel Molina
- Gonzalo Montiel
- Cristian Romero
- Leonardo Balerdi
- Marcos Senesi
- Nicolás Otamendi
- Tomás Palacios
- Nicolás Tagliafico
- Marcos Rojas
- Marcos Acuña
Midfielders
- Leandro Paredes
- Máximo Perrone
- Alexis Mac Allister
- Enzo Fernández
- Valentín Barco
- Rodrigo De Paul
- Exequiel Palacios
Forwards
- Lionel Messi
- Nico Paz
- Gianluca Prestianni
- Nicolás González
- Giuliano Simeone
- Thiago Almada
- José Manuel López
- Julián Álvarez
- Franco Mastantuono
- Joaquín Panichelli
Context and Preparation
These friendlies were arranged after the cancellation of the Finalissima against Spain and a previously linked match against Qatar. The matches against Mauritania and Zambia will serve as crucial preparation for the 2026 World Cup, particularly with Lautaro Martínez unavailable due to injury. Scaloni will be evaluating potential replacements for Martínez, with José López and Joaquín Panichelli competing for the position.
Zambia was selected as a replacement opponent after FIFA did not grant Guatemala permission to play against Argentina. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed the match will start at 8:15 PM local time on March 31st.
This will be the first time Argentina and Zambia have faced each other in a competitive match.