Buenos Aires [Argentina], November 14: Messi and Inter Miami will face River Plate at Monumental Stadium in early 2027, while at the same time, the Argentine national team will lose to Uruguay 1-2 in their first match after the star's retirement, on November 14th.
Without Messi, the Argentine national team immediately loses its appeal.
According to the Clarin newspaper, the match between Argentina and Uruguay at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires only attracted about 20,000 to 25,000 spectators, while the stadium has a capacity of 55,000 seats.
"The absence of Messi, along with the exorbitant ticket prices - 95,000 pesos for standing tickets (approximately 1.5 million VND) and 140,000 pesos for seated tickets (approximately 2.3 million VND) - are believed to be the main reasons for the low attendance."
In light of this situation, the number of service staff and police officers was reduced at the last minute, and some areas of the stands were closed off. According to official figures, only just over 24,000 tickets were sold for this match," Clarin, a leading daily newspaper in Argentina, reported.
Without Messi , the Argentine national team began their new journey disappointingly, losing 1-2 to Uruguay. The visitors played their familiar defensive game, but capitalized on opportunities to take a 2-0 lead with goals from Balerdi (own goal) in the 48th minute and Araujo in the 53rd minute. Julian Alvarez rekindled hope for Scaloni's team with a goal to reduce the deficit to 1-2 in the 73rd minute.
However, in the remaining minutes, the Argentine team was unable to turn the tide and had to accept their first defeat in the post-Messi era. This also shows that coach Scaloni still has a lot of work to do to help the Albiceleste reach their previous level.
Despite Messi's departure, the Argentina squad still boasts many top stars such as Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Nico Paz, and Alvarez... However, coach Scaloni is still searching for a new formula to help them reach their full potential, after a very long period of dependence on the renowned captain Messi.
After their loss to Uruguay, the Argentine team has another match against Costa Rica on November 17th to continue testing their new lineup.
Messi returns to his home country of Argentina for the first time in a club jersey.
Messi will lead his Inter Miami teammates in a match against the renowned Argentinian team River Plate at Monumental Stadium in early 2027. This will be Messi's first return to Argentina to play for a club.
"This match is part of Inter Miami's pre-season preparations for 2027, and also gives Argentinian fans another chance to see their country's greatest soccer star play in their homeland."
"This event also carries a lot of emotional significance. This is the first time Messi has returned to the Monumental stadium since he said goodbye to the Argentine national team at this very stadium, making this occasion especially meaningful for fans in Buenos Aires," the Spanish newspaper Diario AS stated.
The Inter Miami vs. River Plate match was confirmed by both clubs through announcements on November 14th. This international friendly match is scheduled to take place on January 19th, 2027.
At 39 years old, Messi remains the top scorer in the MLS season with 26 goals in 31 games for Inter Miami. He and his teammates are preparing for their first-round playoff match to defend their MLS Cup title against Columbus Crew, which takes place at 6 AM on November 22nd.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
