Messi’s Argentina to face Spain in March

CAIRO – 9 January 2018: Spain’s national team will face Argentina on March 27 in a friendly match at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in preparation for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Spain will also play against Italy in Basel, Switzerland in a friendly match. The team hopes to achieve the World Cup title again after they succeeded to be World Champions in 2010.

Jorge Sampaoli, Argentina’s coach, is waiting for confirmation for another two friendly matches that would be played once the club competitions close and the World Cup teams start concentrating on the most important competition.

Jorge Sampaoli was at the facilities of FC Barcelona last Tuesday, in the Sports City of Sant Joan Despí, following the training of Barcelona’s first squad and taking the opportunity to talk with his players Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano, as well as Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde.

For Messi, it will not be the first time he plays with Argentina against Spain and his Barcelona teammates.

The most recent was played shortly after “La Roja”, Spain’s national team, was World Champion in South Africa.

These are the three matches in which Messi played against the Spanish national team before:

11/10/2006 • Murcia - Spain-Argentina - 2-1 - (61 ')
11/14/2009 - Madrid - Spain-Argentina - 2-1 - (90 ', 1 goal)
07/09/2010 • Buenos Aires - Argentina-Spain - 4-1 - (89 ', 1 goal)