Lionel Messi will start for Argentina vs. Bolivia on Tuesday in their World Cup qualifier.
Messi is going to be in the starting eleven for Argentina. According to Gastón Edul, Messi will once more start for Argentina, after having started in the 1-1 draw vs. Venezuela on Thursday.
This will be the first time that Lionel Messi plays in Argentina since the 2-0 loss against Uruguay in November 2023 which was also a World Cup qualifying match. As reported, Lautaro Martínez is also set to start and there is another report stating that Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni could start Messi, Lautaro and Julián Álvarez against Bolivia.
Ronaldo is in great form at the international level. Compared to that Messi did not have any memorable match since long. Can he make the Bolivia match memorable?
Useless statspadding is not great form in glorified friendlies (NL). We all have remembered how CR flopped at WC22 and Euro 24 when mattered and he will at WC26 again as usual. He is the reason this portugal generation is completely wasted.
I made no comment from a WC 22 or Euro 24 perspective. My comments are purely based on last few matches where he has been scoring consistently. Croatia, Scotland, Poland – IMHO these teams are not bad teams.
Some of the kids still comparing Messi to him…just laughable
Scoring in 3 consecutive international games against Croatia, Scotland, Poland at 39 is neither laughable nor great enough to compete with Messi’s rich legacy. But footballing sense tells that doing what he is doing deserves credit even if we cannot and shouldn’t compare to the magical performance of a 35 year old at WC 22.
You are comparing greatest player of football history lionel messi 🐐 against tapin mechant penaldo who do nothing other than just wait in the box for tapin. He is liability for football, can’t even make any dribbling for many years and he is the reason Portugal not winning any trophy.
But I am not surprised with this because Mario kempes you are the one of the biggest hater of lionel messi in this site which can be easily understable from your comments in this site.
One thing I must remember you if there was no rain argentina would’ve easily beat Venezuela I have no doubt about that.
An interesting take indeed, but let me clear the mist—I stand among the fiercest admirers of Messi, a flame of loyalty that’s never dimmed. You won’t find a single word of mine tarnishing his legacy, for I’ve always hailed his brilliance, his vision as sharp as a hawk’s, and his talent that dances like starlight. Comparing players doesn’t chip away at Messi’s greatness; instead, it chisels his monument even taller, for only the finest are measured by such standards. As for ‘tap-in’ remarks, perhaps a deeper dive into the careers of these giants would reveal that football is not merely about goals—it’s about intellect, positioning, and seizing the moment, much like a chess master anticipating moves. Both Messi and Ronaldo have long proven their mastery of this art. As for the rain in Venezuela? Well, Messi’s magic is itself a force of nature—weatherproof. Yet, even the sun bows to clouds some days, as he was far from his best on that day, as well as against Uruguay (0-2), Brazil (1-0), and Colombia (1-0). In the Copa Final, the winds shifted when Nico entered, altering our course after Messi’s exit. But let me leave you with this—form is fleeting, like the seasons, but class is eternal. Messi remains Messi. However, the fate of any team is written one match at a time.