Argentina lines up three friendlies for September and October after the 2026 World Cup

The taste of the 2026 World Cup final hasn't even settled yet, and the Argentine national team is already moving to get back on the field. The AFA is putting together a friendly schedule for the next FIFA window, the team's first since the tournament wrapped up, and everything points to Lionel Scaloni potentially running as many as three matches between September 21 and October 6.

Esteban Edul broke the news on Wednesday on ESPN F12, and with it came a wrinkle that changes the original plan: a match in China is off the table. There had been a firm offer on the table, but it was contingent on Lionel Messi being available, and nobody can guarantee that these days. Without that certainty, the Asian proposal fell through.

With that chapter closed, the AFA is now working on a different plan. The window's opening match would be played at La Bombonera, against a South American or Concacaf opponent still to be determined. After that would come an Asian tour, with two more matches against rivals who also haven't been locked in. One name that came up was Uzbekistan, whose federation claims to have a preliminary agreement signed with the Argentine side, something the AFA has preferred not to confirm for now.

An issue still hanging: South America's World Cup slots

While the friendly schedule gets sorted out, there's another discussion running in parallel that carries real weight for the region's future. CONMEBOL has started talks with FIFA to figure out how many spots South America will get in the next World Cup. The specific question is whether the places for Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, already secured as co-hosts of the tournament, get subtracted from the five and a half berths the continent has historically been allotted, or whether they're added on top of that allocation.

Whatever FIFA decides, the Argentine national team has already made clear it wants to play in qualifying regardless. It's not just a matter of preference: playing qualifiers keeps the team competitively sharp and gives continuity to a process that, with Scaloni in charge, has been successful for years now.

For now, what's set in stone is the calendar FIFA has laid out going forward. After the September and October window this year, there will be another one between November 9 and 17, 2026. Looking ahead to 2027, the FIFA windows have been set for March, June, September and November, a schedule that will give Scaloni several chances to keep testing names ahead of the generational turnover the national team will sooner or later have to face.

Everything else, opponents, exact venues and whether Messi will be part of the next call-up, remains open. The only sure thing is that Argentina isn't going to sit still for long after coming this far in the World Cup.