Seeking to claim their third successive victory in 2026 CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying, reigning world champions Argentina will welcome Paraguay at the Estadio Monumental on Thursday.
The Albiceleste have started their qualifying campaign with a perfect six points out of six, and are currently placed second behind Brazil on goal difference in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers standings after two rounds.
The visitors, meanwhile, will be looking to pull off an almighty upset here in what will be the first game in charge of Paraguay for newly-appointed manager Daniel Garnero, who took over from Guillermo Barros Schelotto last month after a torrid start to their qualification campaign that saw them pick up just a single point from games against Peru and Venezuela.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Argentina vs Paraguay kick-off time
| Date: | October 12, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 7:00 pm EDT |
| Venue: | Mas Monumental Stadium |
The game between Argentina and Ecuador will be played at the Mas Monumental Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina on Thursday, October 12, 2023. Kick-off is at 7:00 pm EDT for fans in the US.
How to watch Argentina vs Paraguay online - TV channels & live streams
 | fuboTV | Watch here |
 | UNIVERSO | Watch here |
The game is available to watch and stream online live throughFubo and Universo, while fans who cannot watch the game can follow the live updates on GOAL.
Team news & squads
Argentina team news
Argentina's Paulo Dybala (knee) and Juan Foyth (unknown) are among a host of players to have been omitted from the national team squad due to various injury concerns.
However, head coach Lionel Scaloni has been boosted by the news that star attacker Lionel Messi has recovered from a muscle injury after playing 10 minutes on Saturday in Inter Miami’s 1-0 loss to Cincinnati. The Argentina captain will likely feature against Paraguay, but it's still up in the air whether he will start or come off the bench.
In the absence of Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez, who is sidelined with a foot injury, Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi are expected to form the central defensive partnership in front of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, flanked by the full-back duo of Nahuel Molina and Nicolas Tagliafico.
Lautaro Martínez has been in red-hot form for Inter Milan at the start of the season but could be denied a start here, with Manchester City's Julian Álvarez the preferred pick to spearhead Scaloni's attack currently. Angel Di María is also not fit for international duty as he continues to recover from an injury. Nico Gonzalez is likely to be the veteran’s replacement out-wide once more.
Argentina predicted XI: E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Mac Allister, Alvarez; Messi, L Martinez, Gonzalez.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Martínez, Armani, Musso, Benítez |
| Defenders: | Otamendi, Tagliafico, Pezzella, Molina, Montiel, Romero, Martínez, Medina, Senesi, Esquivel |
| Midfielders: | Paredes, De Paul, Rodríguez, Palacios, Mac Allister, Fernández, Almada, Buonanotte, Zapelli |
| Forwards: | Messi, Martinez, Alvarez, Gonzalez |
Paraguay team news
Paraguay’s new coach Daniel Garnero will have to make it without the services of midfield trio Andres Cubas, Cristhian Paredes, and Diego Gomez, all of whom have been forced to withdraw from the national team squad due to injury.
Newcastle United's Miguel Almiron is expected to start on the right-hand side of the attack, while Ramon Sosa will be hoping for a starting XI place on the opposite flank, with Carlos Gonzalez and Gabriel Avalos both vying for the number nine role.
Paraguay predicted XI: Coronel; Rojas, Balbuena, Gomez, Alonso; Villasanti, Sanchez, Romero; Almiron, Avalos, Sosa.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Coronel, Rojas, Espinola |
| Defenders: | Rojas, Alderete, Piris, Balbuena, Alonso, Gómez, Riveros, Gamarra, Espinoza |
| Midfielders: | Ortiz, Almirón, Ojeda, Cubas, Rojas, Romero Gamarra, D. Gómez, Sánchez, Villasanti, Medina, Campuzano |
| Forwards: | González, Ávalos, Morales, Sosa |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 8/10/21 | Paraguay 0-0 Argentina | World Cup qualification |
| 22/6/21 | Argentina 1-0 Paraguay | Copa America |
| 13/11/20 | Argentina 1-1 Paraguay | World Cup qualification |
| 20/6/19 | Argentina 0-1 Paraguay | Copa America |
| 12/10/16 | Paraguay 0-0 Argentina | World Cup qualification |