Argentina (National Football)

Argentina and Colombia face off on Tuesday in what could prove to be a tricky finish to the international break for both sides.

They'll meet at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with both sides coming into the match on the back of victories against Guatemala and Venezuela, respectively.

Here's the info you need to catch the action:

                           

Date: Tuesday, September 11

Time: 8 p.m. ET/1 a.m. BST

Odds: Argentina win 6-5, Colombia win 11-5, Draw 12-5

TV: beIN Sports 3, beIN Sports en Espanol

Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect

Odds via Oddschecker

                          

Argentina are without their all-time top scorer Lionel Messi during this international break, as well as a whole host of other first-team stars who are being rested following their involvement in the FIFA World Cup.

Interim manager Lionel Scaloni has named an experimental squad in their place, but they still managed to impress Argentinian football experts Peter Coates and Roy Nemer during their victory against Guatemala:

Argentina have pressed well to try and win the ball back as soon as possible and the midfield 3 of Paredes, Lo Celso and Palacios look to get the ball forward quickly where Pavón and Martínez have looked dangerous.

— GOLAZO (@golazoargentino) September 8, 2018

There's been more energy from Argentina shown in this first half than we saw from them at the entire World Cup. Youth is the way to go and some of these players are impressing.

— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) September 8, 2018

Colombia will provide a much sterner test of their abilities, though, so they'll need to be ready for a significant step up in the quality of their opposition.

Los Albiceleste's squad has just six international goals between them, half of which were scored in 3-0 win over Guatemala.

However, while neither Mauro Icardi or Paulo Dybala has scored for their country yet, they should still be able to provide plenty of firepower up front.

Los Cafeteros will be difficult for Argentina's inexperienced side to handle, though. While they may not have all of their first-choice players to hand, there's still creativity in the side from the likes of Juan Cuadrado and Juan Fernando Quintero, while Radamel Falcao offers a goalscoring threat.

The striker got on the scoresheet as he helped Colombia come from behind to beat Venezuela 2-1 in their prior friendly:

GOOOOOOALLLLLL! @FCFSeleccionCol equalizes in the 55th minute of play!@FALCAO with the strike! https://t.co/wGr7cZe2jw

— Hard Rock Stadium (@HardRockStadium) September 8, 2018

Argentina are deemed the favourites with bookmakers, and Dybala and Icardi can both be match-winners in any contest.

Colombia's experience should perhaps give them the edge, though, as containing their attacking and creative threats will be a big ask for their defenders, the most capped of whom is Ramiro Funes Mori with 20.

Argentina interim manager Lionel Scaloni said Lionel Messi's future with the national team "remains to be seen" after the Barcelona star pulled out of September's friendlies against Colombia and Guatemala. 

Messi will skip the international break, and Scaloni is unsure if he'll return to action for La Albiceleste.

Per Marca's Charly Siffredi, he said: 

"I spoke with him, but I'm not going to discuss what may happen in the future. We know what he means for us, but we'll have to see what happens.

"He will not be in this call-up, and later it remains to be seen. We spoke on good terms and we have a great relationship."

Scaloni added he will not make any demands of the No. 10: "There is no coach in the world who does not see what Messi brings. It would be imprudent of me to tell him to come or not."

Messi briefly retired from international football after the Copa America in 2016—in which Argentina were beaten finalists at a major tournament for the third year running—but reversed his decision little more than a month later.

He subsequently dragged the team almost singlehandedly through qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. After scraping through a group comprised of Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria, La Albiceleste lost 4-3 to eventual winners France in the last 16.

Messi did not hit the considerable heights he's capable of in Russia, but he did score one of the best goals of the tournament (UK viewers only):

This is worth watching again. And again. And again....and again and again! #Messi #bbcworldcup pic.twitter.com/xCMo8D0Fr0

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 27, 2018

Sports writer Andy West believes the forward is not necessarily looking to retire again at this stage, but rather he is hoping for the Argentinian FA to get its house in order before he returns to action:

Messi doesn't want to stop playing for Argentina but he'd be reluctant to put himself through the shambles of Russia WC again. Leaving the threat of retirement dangling will hopefully be enough to motivate AFA into making some good decisions for a change.

— Andy West (@andywest01) August 14, 2018

As Goal's Dan Edwards noted, the AFA bore much of the responsibility for Argentina's failure in Russia:

Hard to think of a single World Cup cycle in modern football history that has been so egregiously mismanaged as these last four years in Argentina.

— Daniel Edwards 💚 (@DanEdwardsGoal) June 21, 2018

The association has had four presidents since the start of 2014, and Scaloni is the fifth head coach it has had in that time, albeit he has not taken the position on a permanent basis.

It's possible Messi is also hoping to take the time to rest. His involvement at the World Cup ensured he had less time to prepare in pre-season than normal and he faces a long season ahead with Barcelona, so his time would be better served staying put than flying to the United States for two meaningless friendlies.

However, in case the star does make the decision to call time on his international career, Scaloni should take advantage of his absence to begin shaping an Argentina side without Messi, so there are plans in place for when he does hang up his boots.

Lionel Messi hasn't been called up for Argentina's upcoming international friendlies against Guatemala and Colombia as the Barcelona star considers his international future.

TNT Sports (h/t Mundo Deportivo, via Alex Smith of the Mirror) previously reported Messi had decided not to feature for the team again in 2018.

On Friday, he wasn't included in the squad:

#SelecciónMayor Lionel Scaloni dio a conocer la lista de convocados para enfrentar a Guatemala y Colombia en Estados Unidos. pic.twitter.com/yivZX2KZ37

— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) August 17, 2018

According to Sport, Messi told new Albiceleste coach Lionel Scaloni he needs time to make a decision.

The 31-year-old suffered heartbreak with the national team yet again this summer, as Argentina played out a disappointing World Cup. The South American giants only just made it out of the group stages and were soundly beaten by eventual champions France in the next round.

It might have been Messi's last chance to win the tournament, or indeed any major international tournament. He already retired from the Albiceleste once after suffering similar heartbreak at the 2016 Copa America. Messi hasn't won any competitions with the side since the 2008 Olympics.

His lack of success on the international stage stands in stark contrast to his club career:

Messi is the player with the most titles in the history of @FCBarcelona! 🏆3⃣3⃣🏆 pic.twitter.com/v7kD3XFEzZ

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) August 17, 2018

Football writer Andy West believes the decision to sit out for now might not be an indication he's planning to retire:

Messi doesn't want to stop playing for Argentina but he'd be reluctant to put himself through the shambles of Russia WC again. Leaving the threat of retirement dangling will hopefully be enough to motivate AFA into making some good decisions for a change.

— Andy West (@andywest01) August 14, 2018

The squad that will play Guatemala and Colombia in the U.S. features two exciting young forwards in Lautaro Martinez and Giovanni Simeone, who are regarded as the future of the team. The former joined Inter Milan earlier this summer, while the latter has impressed for Fiorentina.

Messi's absence could open the door for one of them to step up. If they impress, that may lead Messi back to the squad, with the belief the Albiceleste might finally be ready to win some silverware. 

Argentina captain Lionel Messi is reportedly set to take a break from international football after La Albiceleste's disappointing showing at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The Barcelona star will not feature for Argentina for the rest of the calendar year. He will then make a decision on whether he will return next year, according to TNT Sports, via Mundo Deportivo (h/t Alex Smith of the Mirror).

There was huge pressure on Messi at the World Cup. The forward is widely regarded as one of the best players to grace the game, and the tournament in Russia was considered his last chance to win it.

Argentina have a talented squad but have struggled to create a cohesive team. The team found it tough going during World Cup qualifying and needed a hat-trick from Messi in their final game against Ecuador to secure their place.

It was a similar story in Russia where manager Jorge Sampaoli's side made hard work of their group games. Argentina only confirmed their place in the knockout stages with a 2-1 win over Nigeria in their final match.

Messi appeared to be feeling the pressure, according to BBC Sport:

This picture speaks volumes.

If there was a moment where Lionel Messi felt the pressure of carrying the hopes of a nation on a his shoulders, this was it.

Read 👉 https://t.co/mXIjwPBtJX#bbcworldcup pic.twitter.com/3IU1UuO5Yp

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 22, 2018

Argentina did not last much longer in the tournament. They were beaten 4-3 by eventual winners France in the last 16.

Messi managed one goal and two assists at the World Cup, which led to criticism over his performances.

Former France international Emmanuel Petit said he was "not a leader" and "can disappear" on the pitch, per Paddy Power News (h/t Football Espana).

Argentina legend and World Cup winner Diego Maradona defended the Barcelona star after the tournament. He told Telesur (h/t Marca's Juan Castro) that Argentina "wanted Messi to solve everything."

Oliver Kay at the Times offered his view of Messi and Argentina:

I know some like to diss Messi because he hasn't played in Premier Lge*. But of #ARG past 3 World Cups, he was (officially) player of tournament at one & they were an incoherent top-heavy mess at other two. Even Diego would have struggled with pressure of having to carry this lot

— Oliver Kay (@OliverKay) June 30, 2018

Sampaoli stepped down from his post after the World Cup. Argentina are yet to announce a permanent replacement for the 58-year-old.

Sports writer Andy West explained Messi's decision:

Messi doesn't want to stop playing for Argentina but he'd be reluctant to put himself through the shambles of Russia WC again. Leaving the threat of retirement dangling will hopefully be enough to motivate AFA into making some good decisions for a change.

— Andy West (@andywest01) August 14, 2018

Messi is still only 31, which means it is entirely possible he could feature at the 2022 World Cup. Whether he will choose to continue may depend on who replaces Sampaoli, and whether Messi feels the new manager can take the team in the right direction.

Carlos Tevez has called Lionel Messi the "soul of Argentina" and urged the Barcelona man not to retire from international duty. 

Messi called it a day once before in 2016 after Argentina lost the Copa America final, but Tevez is adamant he must stay on in the wake of a poor 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign, per ESPN FC:

"I think Leo has to think about himself. He has to think that, if there is not a project that makes him happy and in which he feels comfortable, it is very difficult to take the responsibility of leading Argentina to become champions by himself.

"We are wasting a lot of time not having him happy and not being able to give him a hand to achieve that target. I think we are wrong in not being able to help him feel comfortable.

"As a player and as an Argentinian I tell him that we need him, that he try to rest, that he keep a cool head and that we need him. We need him because he is the soul of Argentina and, as long as he continues playing football, it has to be that way because he is Argentina's biggest idol and he has to take that responsibility.

"Now [I tell him] to rest, keep a cool head and try to be well, then we need him to take charge and on the pitch."

Argentina were knocked out of Russia 2018 in the last 16 by eventual winners France.

They only scraped through the group stage thanks to a late winner from Marcos Rojo against Nigeria and looked shambolic in a 3-0 defeat to Croatia and 1-1 draw with Iceland.

Messi, 31, netted just once in the tournament and looked to be burdened with the pressure of carrying a team unable to live up to expectations.

Tevez, 34, has not played for Argentina since 2015 but regularly played alongside Messi in his 76 previous caps for his country.

It is understandable that he should be eager for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to remain available for selection for Argentina as Messi remains one of the best players in the world.

He has also still yet to win a senior international tournament with La Albiceleste despite reaching the 2014 FIFA World Cup final and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals.

There is another Copa America in Brazil next year, and Messi may be persuaded to take one more shot at winning a trophy with his country. 

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) finally announced Jorge Sampaoli will not continue as national team manager on Sunday, more than two weeks after their disappointing World Cup exit at the hands of eventual champions France. 

The decision was revealed via Twitter:

[SELECCIÓN MAYOR] En el día de la fecha, la @AFA y Jorge Sampaoli llegaron a un acuerdo mutuo para terminar su ciclo al mando de la Selección Argentina https://t.co/VUhqiiswnJ pic.twitter.com/R0SxoxxPnc

— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) July 15, 2018

Per Goal's Ryan Benson, Sampaoli had only been in charge since last year, with little going right for the team in that span.

The Albiceleste lost two of their last four friendlies heading into the World Cup, including a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of 2010 champions Spain. Things only got worse once they got to Russia, however.

Iceland held them to a 1-1 draw before Croatia completely outplayed them, winning 3-0. Argentina were desperate for a win in Nigeria, with Marcos Rojo bailing them out late in the contest.

That set up a round-of-16 clash with France, who advanced after a spectacular 4-3 win. 

After the tournament, there were plenty who had sympathy for the manager:

Sampaoli put his neck and career out on the line to take an Argentina job no one wanted to touch with a 9 foot poll. Without going into too much detail, he didn't always get the chance to pick the 11 he wanted (at the World Cup|) and that wasn't fair to him.

— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) July 15, 2018

Sampaoli didn't help matters with his team selections, however. Juventus star Paulo Dybala barely featured in Russia, even when the team needed a goal, and Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi wasn't even selected for the tournament. 

He also didn't select Geronimo Rulli and instead played little-known Franco Armani and Willy Caballero in goal. The latter blundered away in the group stages.

Javier Mascherano announced his retirement from international football following Argentina's 2018 FIFA World Cup exit at the hands of France on Saturday.

The former Barcelona star featured in all four of Argentina's games in Russia but said the time is right to leave, per ESPN.com:

"This story has ended. We gave it our everything until the end. It was a crazy match, in which we didn't start well but we recovered and we turned it around. But their tying goal did so much damage to us.

It cost us so much to lift ourselves up again. From this point on I will be just another fan of the Argentina national team. It is over. The illusion is shattered. It's time to say goodbye and for the younger players to step in."

La Albiceleste had a traumatic World Cup as they opened their campaign with a draw against Iceland. They followed it with a 3-0 defeat to Croatia, which left them struggling to qualify from Group D. A 2-1 win over Nigeria saw them into the last 16 where they lost 4-3 to France in a thriller on Saturday.

The defeat was Mascherano's 147th international appearance for Argentina, making him their most capped player, per Indy Football:

Javier Mascherano won more caps (147) for Argentina than any other player in history.

A legend bows out. #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/AXDEps0dUN

— Indy Football (@IndyFootball) June 30, 2018

However, the 34-year-old found it tough going against Les Bleus and was fortunate not to pick up a second booking during the game. He was shown a yellow card in the first half for a foul on N'Golo Kante and made several other strong tackles after the break.

Mark Ogden at ESPN FC felt he deserved at least one more booking:

I make that nine yellow cards for Mascherano in this game..

— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) June 30, 2018

The 2018 World Cup has appeared a step too far for Mascherano, who left Barcelona in January for Chinese Super League side Hebei China Fortune.

The midfielder has looked off the pace and been guilty of giving the ball away in dangerous areas. He conceded a penalty against Nigeria and was booked in that match, which meant he would have been suspended for the quarter-finals if Argentina had beaten France.

Yet Mascherano's determination and commitment to the cause cannot be questioned and provoked debate over his contribution to the team, as journalist Daniel Edwards noted:

I'm fascinated by the pro-Mascherano/anti-Mascherano debate post-game. Seems he was either awful against Nigeria (my thoughts) or MOTM. Is this the famous divide provoked by huevismo, @robbro7?

— Daniel Edwards 💚 (@DanEdwardsGoal) June 27, 2018

The midfielder will be missed, as he has played at four World Cups for Argentina and will go down as one of their midfield greats.

Argentina's exit from Russia is likely to prompt change within the squad after they failed to impress. However, coach Jorge Sampaoli looks set to stay on, as he said after the game he does not "want to evaluate stepping aside," per Sport.

Diego Maradona is touring around Russia in a private jet and being paid to watch the World Cup. It's nice work if you can get it, and the Argentina legend appears to be enjoying it.

Argentina legend Diego Maradona has denied reports he was hospitalised after La Albiceleste's 2-1 win over Nigeria.

The 57-year-old was pictured boarding a flight following the game after conflicting stories had emerged about his health.

Per the Mirror's Gerard Couzens, Maradona sent a WhatsApp voice recording to compatriot and journalist Daniel Arcucci:

"Where we were they were only serving white wine. Yes, we drank all the wine, but now I'm talking to you and I'm telling you the truth.

"I swear on the lives of my mum, my grandson Benjamin and my son Dieguito Fernando's life that nothing happened.

"At the end of the first half we went to eat. I like red wine and there was white wine."

He also sent a message to his partner, Rocio Oliva, in which he said: "Hello my love. No heart attack, no injection, nothing. I don't know where they're getting it from that I had heart problems or I had to be an adrenaline shot. It all seems so mad, so stupid."

In contradiction with his comments to Arcucci, he added: "It's 3 a.m. and we're just getting back to Moscow without any problems. No alcohol or important story."

He later took to Instagram to offer reassurances, and said:

"I want to tell everyone that I am fine, that I am not, neither was I interned. In the half-time of the game against Nigeria, my neck hurt a lot and I suffered a decompensation. I was checked by a doctor and he recommended me to go home before the second half, but I wanted to stay because we were risking it all. How could I leave? I send a kiss to everyone, thanks for the support!"

Amid reports he had been hospitalised, Colombian journalist Patricia Villegas also shared two pictures of Maradona, the first of him smiling alongside two World Cup officials and the second of him on a plane shortly after:

27 de Junio de 2018. 1:08 am Rusia. Diego Maradona a punto de tomar vuelo para Moscú. pic.twitter.com/KeXMtkP54h

— Patricia Villegas Marin (@pvillegas_tlSUR) June 26, 2018

1:41 am Rusia. A punto de ✈️. Diego: estás hospitalizado? pic.twitter.com/xfktQFUSk0

— Patricia Villegas Marin (@pvillegas_tlSUR) June 26, 2018

Per the Mirror's Natalie Evans and Thomas Bristow, the first tweet said: "June 27th, 2018. 1:08 a.m. Russia. Diego Maradona about to take flight to Moscow."

The 57-year-old received plenty of attention during the match in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday night, where he could be seen praying, cheering and making middle-finger gestures from the stands.

However, he appeared to need help getting out of his seat following the final whistle. Sports Illustrated relayed footage from Twitter user Steve Spoiler:

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1011714176157396998

The Guardian's Ed Aarons subsequently noted reports of his hospitalisation:

Reports that Maradona has been taken to hospital... https://t.co/TVZRmAqjbc

— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) June 26, 2018

Per the Mirror's Darren Lewis, Maradona—who had heart attacks in 2000 and 2004—did receive some medical treatment at the stadium but did not go to hospital for further care:

Maradona has not gone to hospital. He was treated here at the Zenit Arena in the medical centre for a "blood pressure"-related issue. He is said to be fine at the moment.

— Darren Lewis (@MirrorDarren) June 26, 2018

The forward, who earned 91 caps for Argentina and won the World Cup in 1986, has been spotted at each of the team's matches in the group stage.

On Tuesday, La Albiceleste picked up the win they needed to progress to the knockout phase. Marcos Rojo volleyed home a late winner after Victor Moses' penalty cancelled out Lionel Messi's opener.

Argentina will play France at the Kazan Arena in the next round on Saturday.

An 86th-minute goal from Marcos Rojo sent Argentina to the knockout stage of the 2018 World Cup, but star forward Lionel Messi apparently wasn't concerned. 

"We knew we were going to win, but we hadn't expected it to be as tough as it was," he told TyC Sports after Tuesday's 2-1 win over Nigeria, via ESPN.

The team would have been eliminated with a draw but it moved into second place in Group D with the victory.

"It was an amazing way to qualify," Messi said. "We didn't deserve to go out in the first round, so we're all very happy."

Argentina entered the tournament with 9-1 odds to win the World Cup, fifth-highest in the field, according to OddsShark.

Unfortunately, the squad struggled in the group stage, earning just a 1-1 draw against Iceland before falling 3-0 to Croatia. While the door remained open to advance to the Round of 16, the team needed some help in order to advance Tuesday.

Messi also had his problems, failing to score in the first two matches, which included a missed penalty kick.

The Barcelona man came through in the final game, though, scoring in the 14th minute to give La Albiceleste an early lead. Following a Victor Moses equaliser from the penalty spot, Rojo's score in the final minutes helped the team earn a win and advance to the next round.

"Our World Cup begins today," Messi said. "We had to win any way we could, and from today this needs to be a new World Cup for us."

Argentina will take on France in the round of 16 Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.