Is Lionel Messi playing for Argentina vs Colombia today in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers?

Argentina and Colombia face each other for Matchday 16 of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. After playing 30 minutes in the second half of the 1-0 victory against Chile, captain Lionel Messi will start in Buenos Aires.

“Leo is going to play from the start. We have no doubts, and we hope that people enjoy him and the team,” confirmed Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni in a press conference before the match.

Messi made his return to the national team after seven months without playing for La Albiceleste. Against Chile, the coaching staff decided to give him some rest as the 37-year-old superstar is set to play several matches with his club Inter Miami in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.

Lionel Messi of Argentina during the match against Chile (Marcelo Hernandez/Getty Images)

While Argentina have already qualified for the World Cup, Colombia, coming off a 0-0 draw against Peru, are currently sixth in the standings and need to earn points to maintain their position in the qualifying spots. The match, which will be played at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, will be broadcast in the United States on FuboTV (7-day free trial).

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Scaloni says that Argentina no longer depend on Messi

While Messi’s presence in today’s match will delight fans, Scaloni has also stated that he believes Argentina no longer depend on their captain to play well. “The team is now at a point where it can play in the same way with Leo (Messi) or without him, which used to be more complex in the past as we had to change some players,” Scaloni said. “But now we don’t have this necessity, and the team works in the same way; that’s good,” he added.

In that regard, with qualification secured, Scaloni is in a position to give chances to young players, especially as there are still doubts surrounding Messi’s participation in the tournament next year.

Against Chile, Thiago Almada and Julian Alvarez led a convincing Albiceleste performance. According to Argentine journalist Gaston Edul, Almada is being considered to play alongside Messi and Alvarez in today’s match against Colombia. Nico Gonzalez and Lautaro Martinez are the other options to play in attack.