According to AS , normally a player who is not registered for the match due to injury or suspension, or from the decision of the coaching staff, will have to sit in the stands. However, Messi still sat in the technical area in the above match.
Messi (right) appeared in the technical area despite not being registered to play.
Messi's images have not only puzzled the world press, but also confused fans on social networking sites. Many people think that the Argentine star has been favored, but also broke the rules of organizing a match within the framework of a FIFA (International Football Federation) tournament.
However, Argentina's TNT Sport has clarified the issue to avoid negative publicity for Messi. "The famous player attended the match between Argentina and Bolivia in La Paz not as a player, but as an assistant to coach Lionel Scaloni. This allowed Messi to sit in the coaching area next to his teammates. He also did not wear a player's uniform but a coaching staff member's uniform," TNT Sport explained.
Messi's health was affected by the overload of competition, and he did not have time to recover for Argentina's match against Bolivia. "He could have said goodbye to the team early to return to the US in time for his son's birthday. However, Messi was determined to go to Bolivia to support the team. Messi's decision really created great motivation for the team," midfielder De Paul said.
Messi, assistant coach of the Argentina team in the match against Bolivia
According to coach Lionel Scaloni: "Messi tried to recover, but 1 day before the match, he said he was not ready to play. Therefore, the decision to let Messi rest was reasonable. Having him on the coaching bench also brings a positive role to motivate the whole team."
In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America, Argentina and Brazil both won both matches to top the group. Next in line is Colombia (4 points), Uruguay and Venezuela both have 3 points. Meanwhile, Paraguay, Peru and Chile have only 1 point. Ecuador and Bolivia have no points, ranking at the bottom of the group.
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