The Argentine national team, led by its historical star, Lionel Messi, is a heavy guest at Colombia at dawn on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in a prospective confrontation at three in the morning Cairo time at the Metropolitano Roberto Milindez in the city of Parankia, in the 16th round of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Argentina seeks to dominate
Despite the official guarantee of qualification, the Argentina team enters the meeting with the aim of strengthening its lead in the ranking, under the leadership of coach Lionel Scalloni, who is counting on the return of the starting lineup to continue the victories, after their recent victory over Chile with a clean goal.
Messi is expected to start the meeting after he sat back in front of Chile, along with prominent players such as Julian Alvarez, Alexis Mac Alister, Enzo Fernandez, and Nicholas Gonzalez, while Nicholas Outamadi and Landro Paridis returns after the suspension ended.
The squad will be absent from the squad due to the accumulation of cards, in addition to Giovanni Le Silsu for injury, but the technical staff is betting on the depth of the squad and the recovery of most elements to compensate for the absences.
Colombia in the qualification race
In turn, Colombia enters the meeting with the slogan “There is no alternative to winning” amid a expected public support on its soil, as it seeks to stabilize its feet in the World Cup qualifying positions, as it occupies the third place with 24 points.
Coach Nestor Lorenzo aspires to achieve a historic victory that brings him closer to qualifying, relying on his offensive weapons, led by Luis Diaz, the Liverpool star, and playmaker James Rodriguez, in light of the defensive cohesion looking for a real test against the world champion.
Summit between numbers and history
The match is of great importance despite the different goals. Argentina tops the qualifiers with 35 points, and is looking to end the journey with a clear preference, while Colombia is fighting to maintain its position behind Brazil and compete with Ecuador on a direct card.
The confrontation remains the focus of attention of the Latin American fans and the world, due to the high technical value it carries and the history of the club, especially since Colombia has not lost in the last 10 qualifying matches, while Messi’s comrades seek to confirm their continental superiority.
