the return of King Messi to his land after almost a year and the need for enjoyment

When this Tuesday Lionel Andres Messi step, as is his custom, with his right foot on the grass of the Monumental stadium to face Bolivia on the 10th of South American Qualifiers will have passed 333 days since the last time he played in the country with the Argentine National Team shirtin that defeat against Uruguay in La Bombonera. It is the return of the kingthe first time after winning the two-time championship of the America’s Cup. One more opportunity (and one less, too) to see him enjoy with the Albiceleste.

Because at 37 years old, it is known, each of Messi’s functions is one more step towards what no one wants, but it is inevitable with the passage of time. Nobody dares, for example, to give the Rosario a deadline. Neither does he. And it seems the most logical due to its football and extra-football validity.

“It makes me very happy to play in Argentina, I miss being there, so it makes me happy to play in the country again”Leo was honest on Thursday, after the 1-1 draw in Maturín against Venezuela, where he returned to the National Team after injuring his right ankle in the Copa América final.

The almost 85,000 privileged people who will gather starting at 9:00 p.m. (Telefé and TyC Sports broadcast) to accompany them from the stands have one more reason: that internal challenge of the National Team to recover after two consecutive games without victories, something which only occurred three times (previously in 2019 and 2021) in the entire cycle of 80 presentations led by Lionel Scaloni.

Messi beats him, too, as he made clear with his photo chosen for an Instagram story this Monday: in the foreground and with the captain’s ribbon on his left arm wearing the albiceleste shirt with the three stars, he can be seen focused on the iconic moment of the National Anthem. It is paradoxical, but it is the same moment that so many times, during the era of – for the detractors – ‘weak’ results, one of the two best players in history was blamed for not singing it.

“In the game his entire presence changes, because in a goal play he is almost always there. But the idea of ​​the team is the same, whether he is there or not. Our football concept does not change, we have a way of playing and we try to do it the same manner”evaluated Scaloni.

For the Flea, Bolivia is a rival that suits them well. In eleven times he faced him with the National Team, he won seven, drew three and only lost one, the remembered 1-6 with Diego Maradona as coach in La Paz. He scored eight goals.

In these eleven months without playing in Argentina, Messi did not stop being present. Last September, against Chile, he appeared on the giant screen of the Monumental stadium in video form to pay tribute to his friend Ángel Di María, in emotional recognition of his retirement from the National Team.

It will be a Tuesday of returns in Núñez. Because they will also reappear in the starting team Cristian Leaves Romero y Alexis Mac Allister. The defensive stronghold had to meet a suspension date due to an accumulation of yellow cards, while the midfield thermometer was preserved due to a muscular overload in the right adductor with which he arrived from Liverpool.

I would also return Lautaro Martínez to the starting eleven. It is a fact that it will come out Thiago Almada and the other who would leave his place would be Gio Lo Celso. Thus there would be an attack trident with Julián Álvarez for the first time since the start of the Scaloni cycle.

Argentina is the leader with an advantage in the Qualifiers and its path to the 2026 World Cup is not in doubt. But Bolivia is on the riseas the team that added the most after the Copa América. He is the only one who won the three games that were played since ‘Toro’ Martínez scored the title goal for the National Team.

“We cannot trust each other in any way”warned Scaloni, who without naming him thinks about the duel between Nicolás Tagliafico and Miguel Tercerosthe 20-year-old gem who plays for Santos in Brazil and became a lethal card for the highland team.

Two of those matches, Venezuela (4-0) y Colombia (1-0, with one man less for 70 minutes) were in the El Alto stadium, more than 4,000 meters above sea level. The remainder in Santiago against Chilewith an aggressive posture. They were all under the leadership of Oscar Villegasthe coach who replaced Antonio Carlos Zago and revolutionized the country.

The rain could be, once again, an unexpected guest. But nothing will stop the enthusiasm and expectation of seeing the National Team with its King setting the tempo and redirecting the path towards the World Cup 2026. Will you play it?