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The challenge of being competitive and not relaxing on the road to Canada-United States-Mexico 2026 imposes another chapter this Thursday, when they face each other at 9 p.m. Argentina y Chile for the 7th date of the World Cup qualifiers. And the local team has one certainty and one presumption: The 11 starters are determinedy The Monumental stadium would present an incomplete attendancenot only because of the reduction in its capacity following a sanction but also for a striking reason: not all the tickets were sold.
Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina Lucero, Christian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi y Lisandro Martinez; Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez y Nicolas Gonzalez; Lautaro Martinez y Julian Alvarez These are the players who will start the match against the Chileans, according to what was learned after the national team’s practice this Wednesday at the Ezeiza grounds. Consequently, Lionel Scaloni chose a 4-4-2 in which there will be two central midfielders y two center forwards.
Everything indicates that the world and American champion will not sell out this time. Despite the fever of the Albiceleste for winning the Copa America, The Monumental will not look crowded in the national team’s first match after its consecration in the United States. Without the presence of Lionel Messithe highest grossing footballer on the planet, with the popular closed y Prices impossible to pay for most fans Argentines, the meeting with Chile will not have the setting that many expected.
As confirmed for THE NATION From Viamonte Street, until tonight there was a Remaining seats for almost all enabled sectors del Monumental. Although the AFA Tickets portal marked the tickets for the Sívori, Centenario, San Martín Alta and Belgrano Alta and Baja stands as “sold out”, and only allowed purchases for the Sívori Media, on the Deportick site, one of the alternative channels approved by the Argentine Football Association itself, tickets could still be purchased for almost all locations: Centenario Media, Sívori Media and San Martín Alta. $113.400; San Martin Lowers to $210.000and the Average to $220.500. The Centenario Alta, meanwhile, will be exclusively for Chilean fans ($183,750). These figures, of course, do not include parking, fuel, tolls, food (the match will start at 9 p.m.) and other expenses that go beyond the cost of the ticket.
In addition to the economic factor, and the fact that many Argentines have not yet received their August salaries, the absence of Lionel Messi plays a role. It is, without a doubt, another of the main factors why so many fans decided to watch the match from home. The star is recovering from an injury to his right ankle and was not even called up for this double window of the qualifiers. The one who will be present is Angel Di Mariaalthough not as part of the team but to receive a pre-meeting recognition.
In recent times, the good form of the team in both the Copa América and the World Cup has reduced the importance of the qualifying matches. Argentina leads the classification and the difference over their rivals is so great that after six dates they have already surpassed them 10 points ahead of Paraguay and Chilewho are fighting to enter the play-offs.
The Monumental is the stadium with the largest capacity in South America, but will have reduced capacity for the match against La Roja, which is added to the fact that the tickets were not sold out. The reason for the closure is a FIFA punishment for “racist or homophobic chants” in the matches against Ecuador (on River’s pitch) and Uruguay (on Boca’s pitch) at the start of World Cup qualifying. The world football body applied a fine to AFA MORE and arranged the “partial closure” of the stadium where the national team will play at home in its next match.
The Argentine football authorities tried to soften the sanction, but the request was unsuccessful, because AFA already had a “suspended closure sanction” from the last qualifying rounds and had been warned for racist chants. At that time, they managed to cancel the partial closure of the stadium and instead placed flags against racism and discrimination behind the goals. In short, the Monumental will have around a million spectators on Thursday. 25% less capacity than in a normal match.
“It is a topic [el racismo] “That must be treated seriously. People must be aware and go out to support their team, even if we play with fewer people because of that. The important thing is that there is no discrimination in the times we live in,” he said. Lionel Scaloni at Thursday’s conference, as a warning.
“We hope to play a good game and bring joy to the fans, who make a huge effort to come and see us and deserve our performance,” said Julián Álvarez, who will feel at home playing at the Monumental.
If such an act were to happen again, FIFA’s sanction could be even more severe (there is talk of 50% of the capacity) and the national team would move its home ground to a stadium in the interior, such as the Madre de Ciudades, in Santiago del Estero, where it drew 1-1 with Chile in 2021 and beat Curaçao 7-0 in 2023.
Argentina debuted in the 2026 qualifiers with sold-out tickets against Ecuador at the Monumental and there were no tickets left for the match on the third date, against Paraguay. The last home game was the 0-2 at the hands of Uruguay at the Bombonera, and that time the tickets They flew in less than two hours, for both Argentine and Celeste fans.
Consequently, Argentina will debut its title of two-time champion of America in a setting that is not suitable for this kind of confrontation. The contagion will have to come from the field.
