CONCACAF
Argentina players kept awake with fireworks from Bolivia fans outside their hotel
Bolivian fans tried to prevent La Albiceleste from sleeping the night before their tough World Cup qualifier in La Paz.
Argentina take on Bolivia in La Paz as they continue their march towards World Cup qualification (which you can follow live on AS USA). They may have to do so without Lionel Messi, and also without a good sleep. The pesky Bolivia fans have been spotted hard at work, keeping the squad up all night with a variety of fireworks. Or perhaps they were just celebrating something important.
The Argentina team did not, as a result, have a great night in La Paz, the capital city where the second match of their the South American Qualifier campaign for the 2026 World Cup takes place. The already complicated problem of dealing with the altitude of the Bolivian city, which sits at 3,625 meters above sea level, was tough enough, but add to that the light and sound display from the home fans and the game becomes an even more difficult proposition.
According to TyC, at 3:20 this morning, several Bolivian fans began to let off firecrackers and launch fireworks in close proximity to the Argentina team hotel to prevent the players from resting fully ahead of the game.
Will Messi start against Bolivia?
Bolivia and Argentina face each other this Tuesday at the Hernando Siles stadium in La Paz starting at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT. local time. The big question surrounding the match is whether Messi will start in the XI or on the bench. The forward, at 36-years-old, is no spring chicken and the high number of games he has had to play since he signed for Inter Miami has forced Scaloni to take a second thought.
The presence of the current world champions has aroused enormous excitement among Bolivian fans, but, as was seen in the early hours of the morning, not everyone showed them the same levels of hospitality. Well, it depends how you look at the situation.
Did Argentina win their last game?
Argentina come into this match after beating Ecuador 1-0 at the Más Monumental in Buenos Aires, thanks to a free kick smashed in by Messi. That goal allowed the Inter Miami forward to draw level with Luis Suárez as the top scorer in the history of the South American Qualifiers. A goal in Bolivia would leave Messi at the top of that pile.
Bolivia were beaten on the first match day, thrashed 5-1 by Brazil in a game that included a double from Neymar, allowing him to surpass Pelé as the Brazil’s top scorer.
