Argentina Sets Dates and Opponents for Its Three Friendlies: Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin

Three friendlies, two different stadiums and a list of absences that's already starting to raise concerns. That's the picture for the upcoming FIFA date for the Argentina national team, which now has its opponents confirmed and even the details of where each match will be played.

The international window runs from September 21 to October 6, and Lionel Scaloni's side will play three matches: against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. The news had already been circulating for a week, after Esteban Edul first reported it on ESPN F12, but it was only this Tuesday that the AFA made it official, along with the venues.

The first match will be against Bolivia, on Wednesday, September 30, at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba. The national team will then move to Buenos Aires to close out the window with two matches at the Estadio Monumental: first against Burkina Faso on Saturday, October 3, and then against Benin on Tuesday, October 6.

The national team's official account confirmed the news with a brief but clear message: "International friendlies in Argentina," along with a statement detailing each match.

The absences Scaloni already has to deal with

It's not all good news heading into these friendlies. Scaloni will have to build his squad without three regular names, all of them suspended: Leandro Paredes, who will miss 10 matches, Nahuel Molina, out for 7, and Thiago Almada, banned for 1 match. Three absences that will force the coaching staff to consider alternatives, especially in midfield and at right back, areas where Paredes and Molina are usually fixtures in the coach's plans.

Beyond the absences, this will be a unique window for the coaching staff: facing African national teams like Burkina Faso and Benin isn't something typical on Argentina's recent schedule, and it serves as a different kind of test than the ones usually posed by World Cup qualifying or the Copa America. Bolivia, on the other hand, is a familiar rival within South American competition.

With these three matches now confirmed, Argentina is also starting to map out the rest of its FIFA calendar through 2027. After this date comes another window from November 9 to 17 of this year, and in 2027 there will be windows in March, June, September-October and November. For now, the focus is on Cordoba and the Monumental, the two venues that will host the national team for this first stop.