The exorbitant fee to invite Argentina to play a friendly match.

The fact that the Argentine national team chose to play a friendly match against Zambia, a country without a strong financial base, has sparked public curiosity.

Lionel Messi and his teammates are about to play a friendly match against Zambia. Photo: Reuters .

Following their 2-1 victory over Mauritania, Argentina will play their next FIFA Days match against Zambia on March 31st. This will also be the final dress rehearsal for coach Lionel Scaloni's team before the 2026 World Cup.

Zambia's qualification for a friendly match against the reigning world champions Argentina came as a major surprise, especially since Argentina wasn't the initial choice. Instead, South Africa had the negotiating advantage to invite Argentina but ultimately failed.

South Africa's coach Hugo Broos admitted his team would like to compete against top opponents like Brazil or Argentina during the FIFA Days. However, the cost of inviting these major teams is estimated to be close to 100 million rand (approximately $5.3 million ), exceeding the federation's financial capabilities.

Meanwhile, Zambia, a team considered less commercially viable, unexpectedly reached an agreement to play against Argentina. Explaining this, legend Kalusha Bwalya said the opportunity arose from objective factors.

“Opportunities come unexpectedly through connections. When I received the call, I couldn't even believe it was from Argentina,” Bwalya shared. He also emphasized that relationships in international football play a crucial role, especially for African teams which often face financial constraints.

For Zambia, this is a rare opportunity to face the team that just won the 2022 World Cup. The Zambian players are also determined to spring a surprise against Lionel Messi and his teammates at La Bombonera.

Messi's genius backheel goal: On the morning of October 15th, Lionel Messi continued to impress, especially with a backheel assist that helped Argentina thrash Puerto Rico 6-0 in a friendly match.

Source: https://znews.vn/muc-phi-dat-do-de-moi-argentina-da-giao-huu-post1639191.html