Argentina vs Paraguay live online: Messi on bench, score, stats and updates | FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier

Argentina and Messi's arrival at Estadio Monumental

This was Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates arriving at Estadio Monumental a little earlier. The Inter Miami man certainly looks in good spirits, maybe because he knows he'll get to given a tiring defence a chasing later on in the game. 

A cameo appearance today followed by a start against Peru on Tuesday? Maybe...

Argentina team to play Paraguay: Lionel Messi starts on the bench

As we suspected, Messi starts on the bench! That just means he'll be fresh to do his stuff later on, right? Fiorentina's Nico González gets a chance to impress in his place.

Martínez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister; Nico González; Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez.

2026 WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION

How many South American teams will play in the 2026 World Cup? How can Lionel Messi’s Argentina qualify?

While we're patiently waiting for the Argentina line-up, and before we take a look at how the two teams have fared in qualification so far, here's how CONMEBOL World Cup qualification works. If you feel as if you've never seen a World Cup without Argentina or Brazil in it, there are several reasons for that. And that will only continue now that the tournament will expand to 48 teams in time for the 2026 edition. 

Paraguay team to play Argentina: América's Sánchez starts

Paraguay have gone first with their line-up for the game, with Almirón starting on the right-side of attack, as expected. Club América's Richard Sánchez also plays in midfield.

Colonel; Balbuena, Gómez, Alonso; Ramírez, Campuzano, Sánchez, Espinoza; Almirón, Bareiro, Sosa

Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona tifo

A large tifo showing Messi and Maradona is expected to be on display at Estadio Monumental during Argentina vs Paraguay. 

It seems incredibly unfair that two of the best players in history are from the very same country (Brazilians would argue the same thing). Leave somebody for the rest of us, come on. 

Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires hosts Argentina vs Paraguay

Argentina defeated Ecuador 1-0 at River Plate's home ground back in September and will also host Uruguay here in November. Following home Games haven't as yet been confirmed, although it wouldn't be a surprise to see most of them played at Estadio Monumental. 

Premier League star Miguel Almirón Paraguay's leading light

It's probably fair to say the members of the Paraguay roster are not household names in the same way as their Argentina counterparts, certainly after their World Cup win.

Newcastle winger Miguel Almirón, who starred in MLS with Atlanta United, will be best known to an international audience, especially after his superb 2022-23 season, when he scored 11 goals in the English top flight. 

Early Paraguay team news: Inter Miami midfielder Diego Gómez ruled out

Under normal circumstances, Messi could have been lining up against his Inter Miami teammate Diego Gómez. However, the youngster is one of three midfielder who have been forced to pull out of the Paraguay squad through injury, all of whom play in MLS. Andrés Cubas of Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers' Cristhian Paredes are the others. 

What injury has Lionel Messi been suffering with?

After Messi asked to come off towards the end of the win against Ecuador, the player himself claimed he was simply tired and that him not finishing games would become a more and more common occurrence. Inter Miami head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino gave similar reasoning, although the MLS club later revealed Messi had aggravated an old scar tissue injury (rather than suffering a new problem). 

Either way, it's (understandably) taken the 36-year-old a little bit of time to get back onto the field and there must be still some questions over just exactly how fit he is after playing just 35 minutes of soccer over the last few weeks. 

Early Argentina team news: Dybala among other absentees

Roma's Paulo Dybala would have been a fantastic replacement for Di María, wouldn't he? Too bad, as he was forced to pull out of the squad after taking a blow to his knee in Roma’s win over Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday. 

Defenders Lisandro Martínez and Juan Foyth, as well as attacker Ángel Correa, are the other injury absentees from the roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. None of them would have been likely starters though. 

Early Argentina team news: injured Di Maria misses out

One man who will definitely not be playing against Paraguay is Messi's old pal Ángel Di Maria. The pair have been thick as thieves together with the Argentina, winning most of their caps alongside one another. The ex-Real Madrid winger captained the team in Messi's absence in Bolivia but won't be playing in Buenos Aires, or in Lima next week, after suffering a thigh injury in Benfica's Champions League defeat to Inter last week. 

What a superb photo from the 2022 World Cup final, by the way. 

Early Argentina team news: will Lionel Messi start?

Let's not kid ourselves. This is the question on everybody's lips. 

Unless you've been living on the moon, you'll be aware that Lionel Messi has been struggling with an injury for the last little while. Basically since the last international break, when he scored the winning goal against Ecuador before being replaced due to “tiredness”.

After not playing in Argentina’s 3-0 win in Bolivia, the former Barça star could only manage 37 minutes of Inter Miami's MLS win over Toronto FC before missing four consecutive matches, including the US Open Cup final loss to Houston Dynamo. He made his return to the side as a second-half substitute on Saturday but was unable to stop his team from falling to a home defeat to FC Cincinnati. 

He's in the squad and has trained fully with the rest of his teammates this week but there has been some suggestion he will be eased back into things from the bench. Stay tuned for more!

WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

Argentina vs Paraguay: times, how to watch on TV, stream online | World Cup 2026 qualifiers

Before we get down to Business, you may still be looking for a way to watch today's Game. If you’re in the United States, then you’re in luck as there is a way and Will is here with the details! 

Just be sure to stick with me too, please!

What time does Argentina vs Paraguay kick off?

The clash in Buenos Aires gets underway at 8:00 p.m. local time, which makes it 7:00 p.m. ET and 4:00 p.m. PT. The weekend is almost upon us (Friday counts, right?) and you're about to sit down and watch some of the world's very best (Messi included?) strut their stuff. Life is good. 

Over the next 90 minutes or so I’ll be bringing you build-up, team news and plenty more. Let's do this!

Hello and welcome to Argentina vs Paraguay!

How about this for a way to (more or less) kick off a week-long feast of international soccer. The world champions are here and are back on the march towards the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will, of course, be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

After starting off with wins over Ecuador and Bolivia, La Albiceleste will be expecting another against Paraguay at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

But will they have to do it without Lionel Messi? We’ll be discussing that, and plenty more, over the next little while.

I’m Roddy and thanks for joining me for this one!