Lautaro Martinez equalled Diego Maradona's scoring record for Argentina as his strike secured a 1-0 win over Peru in their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier.

The Albiceleste bounced back from a shock defeat to Paraguay, with the Inter striker's 55th-minute effort enough to extend their lead at the top of the table to five points.

Argentina started brightly and almost took the lead with their first real opportunity, only for Julian Alvarez's powerful strike to rebound off the outside of the post.

Alexis Mac Allister also came close moments later and rose high to meet Alvarez's cross, though he could only glance his header wide.

Martinez, who netted his 32nd Argentina goal to go joint-fifth in the all-time scoring chart, proved decisive in the second half, acrobatically volleying Lionel Messi's cross into the back of the net.

Lionel Scaloni's side are one place above Uruguay, who they face next. They are on 25 points at the top of the qualifying table, while Peru are rooted to the bottom with just seven. 

Data Debrief: Equalling a great

Martinez took 70 appearances to go level with Maradona in the Argentina record books, though he is still a long way off matching Messi's 112-goal tally for his country.

The captain, meanwhile, registered his 58th assist, matching former United States forward Landon Donovan's record for most international assists.

It was a needed win for the hosts, but they had to edge a cagey affair to get it. There were just three shots on target in the whole game, with all three falling to Argentina.

Peru failed to attempt a shot on target for the first time in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers since facing Argentina in October 2023.

Ireland captain Caelan Doris said the team made a clear step up in Friday's thrilling victory over Argentina, but he knows further improvements are needed for future games.

Ireland edged out Argentina by a 22-19 scoreline in Dublin, bouncing back after suffering their first home defeat in more than three years versus New Zealand last week.

The hosts made a flying start with two tries in the opening five minutes, though Argentina threatened to fight back by scoring all 10 points in a second half punctuated by penalties.

The Pumas spent the closing minutes camped in Ireland's 22 but were unable to make the pressure count, and Doris' primary feeling at the full-time whistle was one of relief.

"It went right down to the wire there. We were happy with how it started. There was a good feeling through the warm-up and that carried over to the start," he told TNT Sports.

"I felt we were in a pretty good position at half-time and their quality showed in the second half.

"It was back and forth and our discipline was probably a factor again. We got the result, which was the most pleasing thing after last week."

Ireland were into double figures for penalties as early as the 54th minute and received two yellow cards, prompting Doris to demand greater discipline in their remaining Autumn internationals versus Fiji and Australia.  

"We want a better performance. Discipline is one thing that needs to improve, but we are continuing to grow as a group," he said.

"I think today was a bit of a step up from last week but we feel like there is definitely more in us.

"A more complete performance is what we are asking for over the next couple of weeks, and we're going to need it."

Lionel Scaloni says he is "not here to criticise his players" after they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Paraguay in World Cup qualifying.

Lautaro Martinez had given Argentina the lead in the 11th minute – his powerful shot past Roberto Fernandez was initially ruled out for offside before a VAR review overturned it.

However, Paraguay were soon back on level terms. Gustavo Gomez rattled the crossbar with a diving header from a corner, but they regathered possession and pulled level with a sublime overhead kick from Antonio Sanabria 19 minutes in.

Two minutes into the second half, the hosts completed the turnaround through Omar Alderete, who met Diego Gomez's precise free-kick to nod in from close range.

Rodrigo De Paul arguably should have equalised for Argentina with just over 20 minutes to go, but under pressure, sliced over from close range, with the visitors unable to salvage a point.

It was a third defeat in World Cup qualifying for the Albiceleste, who remain top of the standings with 22 points, and Scaloni chose to focus on the positives.

"I'm not here to criticise my players; I'm here to support them," Scaloni said. "We knew it was going to be a tough match. We're here to move forward.

"In the first half, we played a good game, but the first action at the start of the second half made everything more difficult. We have to congratulate the opponent, who defended very well.

"I don't know if they found the antidote [to beating Argentina]. We're hoping to get back on the positive path.

"The team always tries and stands tall. That's what's important: never giving up on the game and always having the desire to compete."

Paraguay are sixth in the table, having extended their unbeaten run to six matches, which also includes a win over Brazil.

They had to dig deep, having only 23.2% possession throughout the game, though they had eight shots to Argentina's nine and scored with both of their efforts on target.

Head coach Gustavo Alfaro is yet to lose a game since taking over Paraguay after the Copa America, and he hailed his team's resilience.

"With the rebelliousness of these players in the face of adversity, I have no doubt that we will get there. When the predisposition is so great, time is secondary," he said.

"They were fantastic points, very difficult. It is difficult to take a point from Argentina."

Cian Healy is set to equal Brian O'Driscoll's Ireland cap record when they face New Zealand in Friday's autumn international in Dublin.

The 37-year-old prop has represented his country on 132 occasions and, after being named on the bench, will equal O'Driscoll's mark if introduced versus the Pumas.

Ireland suffered their first home defeat since 2021 last time out, going down by a 23-13 scoreline against New Zealand.

Despite that loss, head coach Andy Farrell has only made one change to Ireland's starting lineup, bringing Robbie Henshaw in at inside centre in place of Bundee Aki.

Argentina also named their team on Wednesday, with vice-captain Pablo Matera, Guido Petti and Matias Moroni replacing Santiago Grondona, Franco Molina and Matias Orlando.

Ireland team: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, James Lowe; Jack Crowley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.

Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Peter O'Mahony, Craig Casey, Sam Prendergast, Jamie Osborne.

Argentina team: Juan Cruz Mallia; Rodrigo Isgro, Lucio Cinti, Matias Moroni, Bautista Delguy; Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Bertranou; Thomas Gallo, Julian Montoya, Joel Sclavi; Guido Petti, Pedro Rubiolo; Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo.

Replacements: Ignacio Ruiz, Ignacio Calles, Francisco Gomez Kodela, Franco Molina, Santiago Grondona, Gonzalo Garcia, Santiago Carreras, Justo Piccardo.

Mack Hansen has backed Ireland to bounce back from their 23-13 defeat to New Zealand that saw their 19-game home winning streak come to an end.

The loss also saw Ireland tumble from atop the world rankings to third as the All Blacks repeated their World Cup quarter-final success from last year, and also marked New Zealand's first win on Irish soil since 2016. 

Ireland had previously won 25 of their 26 home games under Andy Farrell, which was their longest run on home soil, with their latest defeat before last Friday coming against France in 2021 (13-15). 

While questions have been asked of a team that have been beaten in three of their past five matches, Hansen was adamant that the mood is not dampened ahead of Friday’s visit of Argentina. 

"People are always very eager to jump on you when you’re down. It’s like in South Africa, nobody gave them a hope after the first Test," said Hansen. 

“And what happens? They come back and win it. That’s the best thing about this group. The outside noise is outside noise and nobody knows what goes on in here, how hard we work and how resilient we are.

"People can chat away. The people who know us know, unfortunately, it was one of those weeks [against New Zealand], but we’re ready to bounce back.”

Ireland's display was littered with errors against the All Blacks, which included 21 handling mistakes, 30 missed tackles and 13 penalties conceded at the Aviva Stadium. 

But eradicating those mistakes could prove difficult when they face Argentina on Friday, who come into the encounter on the back of a 50-18 thrashing of Italy. 

​Ireland, however, have not lost to the Pumas since the 2015 World Cup quarter-final and have beaten them on the three subsequent occasions they have played in Dublin.

And Hansen is confident his team-mates can respond against Felipe Contepomi's side and continue their impressive run against Argentina. 

“There weren’t really hard chats, just honest chats,” added Hansen on Monday's debrief. 

"We came to the conclusion that it wasn’t good enough and also that it just wasn’t us.

"So this week we’re looking to right a lot of wrongs and no better place to do it then back in the Aviva in front of a home crowd."

Ireland coach Andy Farrell intends to assess the "energy levels" of his players before picking a team to play Argentina as he seeks to ensure his side can have no excuses in a busy November.

New Zealand won 23-13 in Dublin on Friday, Ireland's first home defeat in more than three years, and Farrell's side will play three more matches before the end of the month.

Next up are Argentina next Friday, after which Ireland face Fiji and Australia.

There may be the temptation to make sweeping changes given the result against the All Blacks and a performance that Ireland captain Caelan Doris acknowledged was "not good enough".

But Farrell is not rushing into any snap decisions, determined to pick a team that will allow Ireland to compete throughout the coming weeks.

"It's a tough month, four back-to-back games on the trot, so we will see what the energy levels are like," Farrell said.

"A lot of guys put a good shift in considering their training time, never mind game time, so we'll see how bodies are when we're back in and see what the feeling is like."

Regardless, Farrell will not allow the schedule to be used as mitigation this month, adding: "We've always prided ourselves on getting up to speed and being as good as we possibly can be first game up, because that is the cards we are dealt with.

"It doesn't matter if you have had three training sessions and 12 minutes of games or seven consecutive games and 50 training sessions. You try to be your best, and we weren't [against New Zealand]."

Emiliano Martinez has been recalled by Argentina for this month's World Cup qualifiers versus Paraguay and Peru after serving a two-match suspension.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper sat out a 1-1 draw with Venezuela and a 6-0 rout of Bolivia in October after being banned for "offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play" by CONMEBOL.

Martinez had made a lewd gesture with the Copa America trophy ahead of a match against Chile in September, then hit a local television camera after a loss to Colombia.

Valencia midfielder Enzo Barrenechea has been handed his maiden call-up by Lionel Scaloni, while Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho and Leicester City's Facundo Buonanotte have also been recalled.

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi will lead the world champions – who are top of the CONMEBOL qualification group with 22 points – in Paraguay on November 14, before they host Peru five days later.

Argentina squad: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Walter Benitez (PSV), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), German Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Nehuen Perez (Porto), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Leandro Paredes (Roma), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Enzo Barrenechea (Valencia), Thiago Almada (Botafogo), Facundo Buonanotte (Leicester City), Nicolas Paz (Como), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lautaro Martinez (Inter), Valentin Castellanos (Lazio).

Jamaican fitness athlete Deidre Lewis is celebrating a well-earned third-place finish at the IFBB Pro Mr. and Miss Argentina competition, where she competed in the Bikini Fitness Professional category. Lewis stood proudly on the podium behind Brazilian competitors Larissa Dick, who claimed the title, and Flavia Carneiro, who placed second. Rounding out the top five were Franziska Lohberger of Germany in fourth and Anna Wozniakowska of Poland in fifth, completing a competitive lineup of elite pros.

Competing against a field of nine accomplished athletes, Lewis expressed her satisfaction with her performance, crediting her success to adjustments she made based on judges’ feedback from previous competitions. Earlier this year, she competed in the Roger Boyce Classic in Barbados, where judges advised her to work on tightening her glutes. Taking this feedback to heart, Lewis dedicated herself to refining her physique, increasing both muscle definition and overall balance.

 "I am pleased, elated, and satisfied," Lewis said. "I made major improvements based on the judges' feedback and where I want to be in the sport, and it paid off. It was a tough lineup with nine competitive pros, and I am happy I represented my country well."

 For her Argentina showing, Lewis maintained her size from the Barbados competition and focused on making her legs slightly bigger to enhance her shape and symmetry. Her efforts paid off, and she left a strong impression on the judges and audience alike. Still, she remains determined to push her performance to even greater heights.

 Reflecting on feedback from Argentina, Lewis shared that the judges suggested she could benefit from presenting a more shredded look. With her next competition, the Mr. Universe Chile Pro on November 23-24, just weeks away, Lewis plans to dial in her conditioning to meet this goal and present an even more refined physique on stage.

 With her dedication to continuous improvement, Deidre Lewis is proving herself to be a force in the Bikini Fitness Professional category. Her podium finish in Argentina highlights her growth in the sport, and her sights are now firmly set on achieving even greater success in Chile.

Lionel Messi has not given any thought to his retirement, though the Argentina legend has again refused to commit to playing at the 2026 World Cup.

One day before he celebrated the 20th anniversary of his senior debut for Barcelona, Messi recorded five goal involvements (three goals, two assists) in Argentina's 6-0 rout of Bolivia on Tuesday.

Messi has enjoyed a fantastic season for MLS Supporters' Shield winners Inter Miami, too, scoring 17 league goals and adding 10 assists despite only starting 15 matches.

While the forward has shown no signs of slowing down since joining the Herons last year, his decision to turn his back on Europe led many to suggest the end of his career was near.

He has yet to make any decision on his long-term future, however, and is simply focused on enjoying his football in the moment.

Speaking at the Marca America Award night in Miami, Messi said: "Coming to Inter Miami does not mean I will retire anytime soon, I still have more years to play.

"In the moment, we will see. I don't like to accelerate time or look ahead. I try to enjoy every day. I hope I can keep playing at this level to feel good and be happy. 

"When I get to do what I love, I am happy. I value that more than reaching 2026. I haven't set a goal to reach the World Cup, but more so to live day-to-day and be well.

"I am still hungry for titles even though I am a bit older and my family keeps growing. When I feel their support, I am unstoppable."

Messi could lead Miami to a historic achievement this weekend as they end their 2024 regular-season campaign at home to the New England Revolution.

A victory would take Gerardo Martino's team to 74 points, surpassing the single-season record of 73 set by New England in 2021.

Lionel Messi is backing Lautaro Martinez to win this year's Ballon d'Or, believing his Argentina team-mate deserves the accolade "more than anyone else".

The two players were on target during the world champions' commanding 6-0 victory over Bolivia on Tuesday, Messi bagging a hat-trick while setting up Lautaro for their side's second goal.

It has been a 2024 to remember for Lautaro, who top-scored with 24 goals as he captained Inter to the Scudetto last season.

The forward was also the leading marksman during the Copa America with five goals, including an extra-time winner as Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 in the final.

Lautaro's exploits have seen him shortlisted for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, with the winner being announced on October 28.

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior is among the favourites to land the accolade, along with Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri.

However, eight-time winner Messi feels his compatriot should be the leading candidate for the award.

"He had a spectacular year; he scored in the [Copa America] final, he was the top scorer. He deserves the Ballon d'Or more than anyone else."

Precisely 20 years ago, the player many consider to be the greatest of all time made his senior debut.

At the age of 17, Lionel Messi made his first appearance in LaLiga on October 16, 2004, replacing goalscorer Deco from the bench in Barcelona's 1-0 win at Espanyol. He was, at the time, the club's youngest player to feature in an official game.

The rest, as they say, is history – 846 goals, eight Ballons d'Or and 43 senior team honours later, Messi has certainly cemented his place among the all-time greats.

On the 20th anniversary of his first professional outing, we celebrate the Argentine maestro by delving into the best facts and figures of his glittering career.

From prodigy to club legend

Messi's crowning achievement may have come on the international stage, but it was at Barcelona where he became a great, after joining their famed academy aged 13.

By the time of his 2021 departure, Messi had cemented himself as Barca's all-time leader for appearances (766) and starts (687) in all competitions, scoring an incredible 664 goals for the Blaugrana – comfortably ahead of Cesar Rodriguez's 232, previously recognised as the club record.

Messi averaged a goal every 94 minutes during his 17-year stint in the club's senior team, while his 260 assists were some 123 more than Xavi (137), who boasts the second-best figure since Opta records began.

All in all, Messi directly contributed to a staggering 924 goals while at Barca. The next-best figure by a single player in that time belongs to Luis Suarez, who managed 295 (198 goals, 97 assists).

The Argentine lifted 35 trophies – including LaLiga 10 times and the Champions League on four occasions – during his time at Camp Nou, also a record tally for any Barca player.

No love in Paris

When financial troubles left Barca unable to renew Messi's contract ahead of the 2021-22 season, he bid a tearful farewell to his adopted home and joined French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi did contribute to two Ligue 1 title wins in as many seasons with the club, yet his time in Paris was not altogether happy, with early Champions League exits at the hands of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich giving way to fan protests.

Messi did win his seventh Ballon d'Or during his debut campaign in France, though, partly as a result of Argentina's 2021 Copa America triumph.

His 26 league appearances in 2021-22 were his fewest in any league campaign since 2006-07, when he was still a teenager, and he was limited to just six goals and nine assists in the French top flight.

Sixteen goals and as many assists followed in 2022-23, and through his two years in Ligue 1, only Kylian Mbappe (79) and Wissam Ben Yedder (55) bettered his overall tally of 55 goal involvements in the competition.

To the Sunshine State

A fractious relationship with PSG's fans and a lack of continental success made Messi's stay in France unhappy, and in 2023 he went Stateside, joining David Beckham-owned MLS franchise Inter Miami.

Success was immediate as Messi fired the Herons to Leagues Cup glory in August 2023. By the end of that particular campaign, Messi's 10 goals in seven matches put him third in Inter Miami's all-time goalscoring charts without even appearing in a league game.

The 2024 Supporters' Shield followed last month, and Messi is the hot favourite to be named MLS MVP after a brilliant individual campaign, the highlights of which include a 10-match run with a goal involvement to start the season and five assists in May's 6-2 rout of the New York Red Bulls, a game in which he also scored.

No player had previously had six goal involvements in an MLS game, or teed up five goals for team-mates in a single match, nor had Messi previously achieved either feat for club and country.

Only Luciano Acosta (30), Evander (29), Cucho Hernandez, Denis Bouanga and Christian Benteke (all 28) have bettered his 27 direct goal involvements in regular-season play this year. The most impressive part? Messi has only started 15 games. 

International glory

It now seems unthinkable to imagine Messi being maligned by Argentina fans, but that was the case for the majority of his career as he struggled to live up to Diego Maradona's achievements in the Albiceleste shirt.

However, back-to-back Copa America successes in 2021 and 2024, coming either side of a remarkable run to World Cup glory in 2022, have altered that perception for good.

Messi was named Player of the Tournament and scooped the Golden Boot as Argentina ended their 18-year wait for silverware at the 2021 Copa, but it was Qatar 2022 that saw him really cement his legacy.

Only Poland – in Argentina's third group game – prevented Messi from scoring as he ended the tournament with seven goals and three assists, including two strikes and a successful spot-kick in the shoot-out win over France in the final.

Only Gerd Muller (10 goals, three assists in 1970), Just Fontaine (13 goals in 1958) and Sandor Kocsis (11 goals in 1954) have ever bettered that figure at a single World Cup.

His 21 overall goal contributions at the World Cup are the most in tournament history, while he is the only player to win the Golden Ball award at two separate editions – doing so in 2014 and 2022.

This year's Copa America gave Messi a chance to further underline his international legacy, and though he was withdrawn due to injury in the final, Argentina got the job done against Colombia. 

Messi opted against calling it quits there, though, and Tuesday's hat-trick against Bolivia saw him equal Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most trebles in international football, with 10. 

His tally of 112 Argentina goals puts him some way adrift of Ronaldo's tally of 133 for Portugal, though his recent run of international trophies more than makes up for it. 

Lionel Messi is determined to enjoy what could be his final few games with Argentina, having recorded five goal involvements in Tuesday's 6-0 rout of Bolivia. 

Messi scored a hat-trick and provided assists for fellow forwards Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez as the world champions bounced back from a 1-1 draw with Venezuela in style.

The treble – his 10th in international football – took him level with Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the all-time charts, while he is the first player to register at least four goal involvements in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier since Luis Suarez in 2011 (four goals versus Chile).

Messi has refused to give any indication of whether he plans to play at the 2026 World Cup in the past, and for now, he is just enjoying his role in Lionel Scaloni's team.

"It is very nice to play here feeling the affection of the Argentina fans," Messi said after the win. 

"It makes me emotional to listen to how they shout my name. We all enjoy this connection with the fans and we love playing at home."

Asked if he would continue for the remainder of this World Cup cycle, he said: "I didn't set any date or deadline about my future. 

"I'm just enjoying all this. I am more emotional than ever and taking all the love from the people because I know these could be my last games.

"It's a joy to be present and appreciate this moment. Being surrounded by younger team-mates, given my age, makes me feel like a kid again. 

"I find myself doing silly things because I feel so comfortable. As long as I maintain that feeling and can continue contributing to the team, I plan to be here enjoying it."

Argentina face Paraguay and Peru in their next set of qualifiers in November and already have a 10-point cushion to those outside the automatic qualification places.

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick and registered two assists as Argentina crushed Bolivia 6-0 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Buenos Aires.

Having been held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela last time out, the Albiceleste – who remained top of the CONMEBOL qualification group – took out their frustrations on Oscar Villegas' visitors.

Messi latched onto Lautaro Martinez's pass before coolly dispatching his finish past the oncoming Guillermo Viscarra for a 19th-minute opener, then a quickfire double on the stroke of half-time took the game away from Bolivia.

Messi unselfishly squared for Martinez to tap home their second in the 43rd minute, then recorded his second assist by finding Julian Alvarez with a quick free-kick three minutes into stoppage time, with the Atletico Madrid forward finishing on the bounce at the far post.

Nicolas Otamendi had a potential fourth disallowed for offside shortly after the restart, but they extended their lead further in the 69th minute, substitute Thiago Almada sweeping Nahuel Molina's cutback home.

From there, it was all about Messi, who scored twice in two minutes to bring up his 10th international hat-trick. The Inter Miami star finished on his right foot to cap a lightning break in the 84th minute, then beat Viscarra at his near post from 20 yards out to cap the victory with four minutes remaining.

Data Debrief: Messi ties Ronaldo on historic night for Argentina

Messi's treble took him joint-top of the charts for all-time hat-tricks in international football, alongside Ronaldo.

It was also the first time any player had recorded four or more goal involvements in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier since 2011, when Messi's club-mate Luis Suarez scored four times against Chile.

The win, Argentina's biggest in any World Cup qualifier, keeps them three points clear of Colombia at the top of the standings, with 10 of 18 games played. Bolivia sit seventh, 10 points back.

Lionel Scaloni believes Lautaro Martinez deserved the Ballon d'Or "more than anyone" after his stellar 2024.

The forward excelled for club and country this year, earning his place on the 30-man shortlist for this year's prize.

Martinez topped Serie A's goalscoring charts as Inter won their 20th Scudetto last season, netting 24 goals in 33 matches, eight more than his closest rival, Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic.

His 0.81 goals per 90 minutes was the best of any player in the division, while he outperformed his expected goals (xG) of 17.64.

He carried that form into the Copa America, scoring five goals to win the Golden Boot despite playing just 221 minutes as Argentina won the competition for the second consecutive edition.

Martinez's tally was the joint-best by an Argentine in the Copa America since the turn of the century, equalling Lionel Messi in 2016 and Juan Roman Riquelme in 2007.

And Scaloni believes those feats should put the 27-year-old among the favourites.

"Lautaro deserves the Ballon d'Or more than anyone," Scaloni said at a press conference.

"He has had a spectacular year. [At the Copa America] he scored in the final, and he was top scorer. I hope it can be given to him."

Lionel Messi remains in control of his 2026 World Cup destiny with fitness no issue due to the lesser demands of playing in MLS.

That was the message from former Argentina international Mario Kempes, who expects Lionel Scaloni's superstar attacker to be physically capable of featuring in FIFA's next tournament.

Doubts remain as to whether Messi will make it to the tournament hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, where he will hope to play aged 39.

The former Barcelona star is already playing in the USA's domestic competition, though, and Kempes believes that could have a significant influence on him featuring at the World Cup.

"I think Messi will arrive in good shape and fresh, because the MLS is not really very demanding, even though he demands himself," Kempes told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy.

"I think he will arrive in good shape, but first we have to wait for the qualifiers and see how he feels because he is the one who will decide if he is in condition to come in and contribute everything he knows."

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner suffered an unfortunate ankle injury in the 2024 Copa America final but has since returned to the international fold.

Messi missed several MLS matches for Miami, with that absence allowing him to recover in time for Thursday's 1-1 qualifying draw with Venezuela.

Such management of fitness issues could be key for Argentina's Messi-led hopes at the next World Cup, where he will hope to add to his 13 goals at the tournament.

Only Gerd Muller (14), Ronaldo Nazario (15) and Miroslav Klose (16) have managed more strikes at the World Cup, with Messi out for further history if he makes the 2026 edition.

Having scored seven goals en route to Argentina's 2022 success, Messi will have no doubts of adding to his impressive tally, though Kempes urged caution for expecting him to be available.

"You never know what can happen because there is still a long way to go," Kempes, who appeared 43 times for Argentina, added.

With or without Messi, Kempes has been impressed with Scaloni's work in transforming Argentina's fortunes, winning two Copa titles as well as FIFA's top prize.

"Scaloni has already surprised us all when he takes over the national team and changes all the players except for [Nicolas] Otamendi, [Angel] Di Maria and Messi," Kempes continued. 

"I think he has made a generational change that has not been noticed, because he mixed the players who were already there with the new ones.

"And the new ones have been very well received and have that winning mentality that led Argentina to win two Copa Americas and a World Cup."

Argentina wrap up their October internationals when they host Bolivia on Wednesday, aiming to extend their three-point lead at the top of their qualifying group.