Argentina are reportedly finalizing friendlies against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin for October, potential farewell matches for Lionel Messi with the national team following this year's World Cup. Argentina are reportedly closing in on a set of friendlies for October’s international window that could see Lionel Messi and the national team face Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin, according to ESPN journalist Esteban Edul. The matches are being discussed as potential farewell games for Messi following his time with the senior national team after this year’s World Cup, though nothing has been officially confirmed by the AFA or the player himself. The reported schedule has Argentina facing Bolivia on September 30, followed by Burkina Faso on October 3, with a possible third match against Benin, currently ranked 93rd in the FIFA rankings, on October 6. The AFA is said to be negotiating all three fixtures as part of the same international window, with venues under consideration including El Monumental in Buenos Aires, the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba, and a possible match in Rosario. Lionel Messi and teammates celebrate with World Cup replicas at Estadio El Monumental. (Getty Images) With Messi already having confirmed his retirement from the national team, what remains uncertain is whether these friendlies will actually serve as his long-awaited farewell in front of Argentine fans. A series of home matches against lower-ranked opposition would give the AFA the perfect opportunity to give him that proper send-off, while also using the games to start looking ahead to the next generation of the national team. Argentina want friendlies to be recognized as Category A The federation has reportedly also consulted FIFA to ensure the friendlies are classified as Category A matches, a designation that would allow several suspended Argentina players to begin serving bans they picked up following incidents at the 2026 World Cup. Locking in that classification is seen as a key step before any of the fixtures can be finalized. The suspensions stem from the fallout surrounding Argentina’s run to the final, when FIFA handed down sanctions to several members of the squad and coaching staff for their conduct in the tournament’s closing stages. Leandro Paredes received the harshest penalty of the group, a 10-match ban, while Nahuel Molina was hit with a seven-match suspension of his own. Thiago Almada picked up a shorter one-match sanction, and even assistant coach Roberto Ayala was not spared, receiving a three-match ban along with a fine. Without Category A status, none of those suspensions could begin to count down, since FIFA only recognizes bans as served in matches that meet that classification threshold.
Former Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs (Picture: Webby & O’Neill) Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has lauded the potential of Max Dowman, insisting the Arsenal midfielder is an ‘unbelievable’ talent. After impressing in Arsenal’s academy set-up, Dowman, 16, broke into Mikel Arteta’s team last season, making 13 appearances in all competitions. The talented midfielder scored a memorable goal against Everton in March, becoming the Premier League’s youngest-ever goalscorer in the process. The teenager impressed again in pre-season, scoring and assisting in Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Girona, but is yet to feature this season for the defending champions. Sign up for In The Mixer, Metro's football newsletter Get exclusive analysis and previews of the biggest games every Friday. Sign up now for free. Dowman has been an unused substitute in Arsenal’s victories over Coventry City and Chelsea, but Giggs believes the midfielder’s future is still bright as he reflected on his first time watching the youngster in action. ‘I’ve seen him, it was against United in the Youth Cup,’ Giggs said on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel. ‘I hadn’t really seen him, I’d heard about him. And do you know what? He won the penalty and then took it against players two years above him. Arsenal academy graduate Max Dowman (Picture: Getty) ‘I played in the youth team two years above, and I’m just putting myself in that position, right? ‘I’ve just won the pen and I’m grabbing the ball and taking it. That’s not happening when I was in my youth team, there were players, big personalities. ‘And that’s what stood out. I messaged Albert [Stuivenberg], who’s the coach there. I said, “Who’s this Max Dowman?” I said, “He looks unbelievable”. He went, “He’s a special player”. ‘That’s all he said. He said, he’s a special player. Dowman made 13 appearances last season (Picture: Getty) ‘Forget about the things that he did – he did an unbelievable run to win the penalty – but that is what really stood out for me; it’s like, give me the ball. I’m taking it at 15.’ Elsewhere, former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman name-checked Giggs as a player whose talent Dowman could go on to match in his career. ‘He’s top, he really is top,’ legendary former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman told talkSPORT earlier in the summer. ‘He came through with us and then all last season he trained with the first-team. When you see him off the pitch he looks like a 16-year-old, but when you see him on the pitch he looks like a man that’s been there for a long time with a lot of talent. Dowman is yet to feature this season for Arsenal (Picture: Getty) ‘I remember Bryan Robson telling me about Ryan Giggs when he was young and coming through. In Max – so long as he can stay away from injuries – we’ve got somebody that’s just as good as that.’ While Dowman has struggled for minutes so far this season, Arteta hinted that the youngster still has a role to play, particularly after the departure of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard this summer. ‘I think we’re going to have to prove how versatile and good we can become in that flank with the players that have left,’ Arteta told Sky Sports last week. ‘But it’s true that we have now players available that last year, for seven months, till January, they weren’t available in the squad. ‘Ethan was out on loan anyway. So, Ethan Nwaneri wasn’t part of the team. Max is here, and yeah, we have to prove that we have what it takes to win.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Fabio Silva came off the bench while Borussia Dortmund were drawing with Villarreal and played a big part in getting them a win. The post ‘Fabio is on fire’ – Kobel hails Silva’s influence in Dortmund’s Champions League opener appeared first on SoccerNews.
Jose Mourinho hit back at his critics after watching Real Madrid limp to a nervy 2-1 Champions League victory over Inter Milan on a turbulent evening at the Bernabeu.
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