Warm‑up in Texas
Argentina’s national side is set to face Honduras in a friendly at the Toyota Stadium in College Station, Texas, as the final tune‑up before the team’s opening World Cup match against Algeria.
Coach Lionel Scaloni is using the encounter to assess the fitness of a squad that has been plagued by injuries, with Lionel Messi still nursing a muscle issue that keeps him sidelined for the Honduras game.
Several other key figures, including Emiliano Martínez, Christian Romero and Julián Álvarez, remain on the treatment table, while Thiago Almada is expected to fill the creative void left by Messi and line up alongside Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernández in midfield.
In attack, Lautaro Martínez is likely to lead the line, possibly alongside Giovanni Simeone, while the goalkeeping duties could be shared by Juan Musso and Gerónimo Rulli depending on the coach’s tactical preferences.
After the Texas fixture, Argentina will travel to Kansas City to meet Algeria, then head to Dallas for matches against Austria and Jordan, all part of Group J of the tournament.