Coach Scaloni: 'Messi quit because he was uncomfortable'

"Messi is not ready to play," Scaloni said after the match on the evening of September 12. "Yesterday, he tried to recover, but felt uncomfortable. We didn't want to take any risks."

Messi is not on the registration list to play the match at La Paz Stadium. He sat on the bench together, but only to cheer on his teammates. Previously, Scaloni also announced that the competition registration list would be decided based on the recovery process.

Without their captain on the field, Argentina still played well against the team at the bottom of the World Cup qualifying group in South America. The defending champion scored three goals thanks to Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Tagliafico and Nicolas Gonzalez. After two matches, Argentina ranked second with six absolute points, only lower than Brazil. Meanwhile, Bolivia has no points yet.

Messi's fitness is becoming a problem for Argentina. On September 7, at the end of the 1-0 win over Ecuador, the 36-year-old striker had to ask to rest because of fatigue. After the match, Messi admitted this could happen many times.

After the 2022 World Cup, Messi also mentioned the possibility of not participating in defending the championship. He is worried about not being physically fit to play at the highest level for Argentina. When the World Cup takes place in the US, Mexico and Canada in June 2026, Messi will be 39 years old.

La Paz, where the Bolivia - Argentina match took place, is 3,625 m above sea level. Playing here is always torture for away players, especially the older ones. When away against Bolivia, Argentina drew 1-1 in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, lost 0-2 in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, and won 2-1 in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

"The thin air in La Paz increased the difficulty of the match," coach Scaloni said after the 3-0 victory. "However, we succeeded in getting three points. My players are very good. Without them, we could not have achieved this result."

The 2026 World Cup qualifying round in South America includes 10 teams. The top six teams will receive six direct tickets to the final round. The team ranked seventh must compete for tickets with representatives from other continents.

Last year, Messi helped Argentina win the World Cup after 36 years of waiting. After losing to Saudi Arabia 1-2 in the opening match, he and his teammates won against Mexico 2-0, Poland 2-0, Australia 2-1, and the Netherlands 4-3 in the quarter-final penalty shootout (drawn 2-2 in the quarter-finals). 120 minutes), Croatia 3-0, and France 4-2 in the final penalty shootout (3-3 draw in 120 minutes). In seven matches, Messi scored seven goals and assisted three times. He won the 2022 World Cup Golden Ball and Silver Shoe titles.