Messi and the Argentina team will play the second match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America, against the Bolivia team at the Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz at 3:00 a.m. on September 13. This is a place with an altitude of 3,650 m above sea level, the thin air can easily cause players who are not used to the competition conditions to lose their breath and have difficulty breathing...
Messi was given a rest to regain his fitness before the match against Bolivia in La Paz, 3,650 m above sea level.
Previously, the International Football Federation (FIFA) banned matches at stadiums above 2,500 meters, making Bolivia's Estadio Hernando Siles unable to host World Cup qualifying matches for a while. But a few months later, FIFA raised the altitude to over 3,000 meters, allowing Estadio Hernando Siles to receive special permission to host matches again.
Brazilian striker Neymar once criticized this decision as "inhumane", when posting a photo of Brazilian players having to wear oxygen masks before playing against Bolivia in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
Messi also had many unhappy memories at Estadio Hernando Siles. He once came with the Argentina team to play against Bolivia in the World Cup qualifiers, such as the terrible 1-6 loss in April 2009. Then there was the 1-1 draw in March 2013 and the hard-fought 2-1 win in October 2020 under coach Lionel Scaloni. This was also the only victory of Messi and the Argentina team against Bolivia in La Paz in recent years. "Personally, I think it is impossible to play football in La Paz," Messi once said after playing at this venue.
Midfielder Mac Allister posted a photo of himself using an oxygen tank to breathe when he arrived in La Paz.
The Argentine Football Federation has prepared a personal oxygen tank for each player.
In total, Messi, with the Argentina national team facing the Bolivian national team in La Paz, only had 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses. This 36-year-old superstar, even at the peak of his career when coming here to play, "achieved" a round zero: 0 goals and 0 assists.
Because his health was not really good, after scoring the only goal for Argentina in the 1-0 win over Ecuador on September 8, Messi had to go to the hospital for a check-up. But after that, he still decided to fly with the whole team to La Paz to prepare for the match with Bolivia.
Messi (right)
The Argentine Football Federation has prepared a personal oxygen tank for each player to help them cope with the thin air in La Paz. Whether Messi will play or not is still uncertain. On September 11, the superstar continued to not practice, the remaining players only practiced for a short time, according to TyC Sports (Argentina).
Journalist Gaston Edul of TyC Sports channel said: "Messi will definitely play, but he can only come off the bench, or play for only 1 half to protect his health."
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