Argentina continue their start to CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifying with a home date against Paraguay, the first of two qualifiers for the world champions in this international break.
Lionel Messi has been dealing with fitness concerns the past few weeks, missing significant time for his club Inter Miami, but he is on the roster and expected to play a part for the national team. According to a report from Argentina, Messi will not start tonight's match, but he is likely to play much or all of the second half.
He is helping to usher in a youth movement up front for Argentina, with Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Garnacho considered the future of the forward line. With Angel Di Maria not fit for duty this month, that will be even more in the spotlight here and in the follow-up in Peru.
Paraguay were not close to qualifying for the last World Cup, unable to reach a FIFA tournament since 2010. However, with the 2026 World Cup field — and by extension, qualifying across all federations — expanding this cycle, Los Guaranies will consider themselves real contenders for a spot and thus points will be at a premium in every match.
LIVE BLOG: Follow along with updates, highlights, and commentary as Argentina meet Paraguay
Argentina vs Paraguay live stream, TV channel
Following an agreement at the 11th hour of the September international break, broadcast rights for Argentina's home World Cup qualifiers in the United States have been secured by Telemundo and Univision. That means viewers in the USA can watch this match on Universo, with streaming on Fubo as well as the company's premium subscription services.
The match is not set to be available globally to regions including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as CONMEBOL has yet to sell broadcast rights to a provider in those territories. The match is, however, available on FIFA+ for free in select territories.
Other territories with broadcast options for this match include Malaysia (Astro Supersport), Argentina (TyC Sports), Brazil (SporTV 2), France (L'Equipe Web), Spain (Movistar), and Saudi Arabia (SSC).
MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA | Watch EPL in Canada
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | Universo | Fubo, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo, Universo NOW |
| UK | — | — |
| Australia | — | — |
| Canada | — | — |
| India | — | — |
| New Zealand | — | — |
| Malaysia | Astro Supersport | Astro Go, sooka |
| Singapore | — | — |
| Hong Kong | — | — |
What time does Argentina vs Paraguay kick off?
This CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifying match at Estadio Monumental kicks off on Thursday, October 12 at 8 p.m. local time in Buenos Aires.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada | Thu, Oct. 12 | 7 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Thu, Oct. 12 | 4 p.m. PT |
| UK | Fri, Oct. 13 | 12 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Fri, Oct. 13 | 9 a.m. AEST |
| India | Fri, Oct. 13 | 4:30 a.m. IST |
| Hong Kong | Fri, Oct. 13 | 7 a.m. HKT |
| Malaysia | Fri, Oct. 13 | 7 a.m. MYT |
| Singapore | Fri, Oct. 13 | 7 a.m. SGT |
| New Zealand | Fri, Oct. 13 | 11 a.m. NZST |
Argentina vs Paraguay starting lineups & team news
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni named a bloated 36-man squad for the matches against Paraguay and Peru this month, but Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala, and Juan Foyth were forced to withdraw due to injury. Lisandro Martinez is also unavailable after having to undergo another foot operation.
Now that Inter Miami's playoff run is officially over, Argentina can feel a little better about deploying Lionel Messi at full 90-minute use despite his recent fitness issues, knowing his club season is nearly over and he'll have months of rest upcoming. Messi missed the last match against Bolivia, and missed four Inter Miami games after, but he returned for a half-hour of action in their final fixture before the international break. However, he doesn't start, but is reportedly fit enough to come off the bench for most or all of the second half.
Nicolas Tagliafico started both matches in September, and while Marcos Acuna is back with the team following an injury, the former retains his starting spot. Messi's club teammate Facundo Farias was also included on the roster but it'd be surprising if he saw the field.
MORE: Preview the Argentina vs Paraguay match with picks, predictions, and odds
Argentina starting lineup (4-3-3): E. Martinez (GK) — Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico — De Paul, Mac Allister, E. Fernandez — J. Alvarez, L. Martinez, N. Gonzalez.
New Paraguay head coach Daniel Garnero, making his debut, has rung the changes after falling to Venezuela last time out, making five alterations to that starting lineup. The entire midfield is swapped out, while Adam Bareiro takes over at striker, earning his debut international cap in place of Gabriel Avalos.
Forward Miguel Almiron is Paraguay's most prominent goalscoring threat and is in good form, with three goals in his past five matches for Newcastle United.
Paraguay have questions at goalkeeper, as mainstay Antony Silva has been phased out, leaving three inexperienced internationals currently on the roster. New York Red Bulls starter Carlos Coronel earned his first two caps in the September matches and he remains in net here. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate Diego Gomez was named to the Paraguay roster but was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Paraguay starting lineup (5-4-1): C. Coronel (GK) — I. Ramirez, G. Gomez, Balbuena, Alonso, Espinoza — R Sanchez, Campuzano, Almiron, Bareiro — Sosa.
Argentina vs Paraguay betting odds & lines
In Canada, bet CONMEBOL at Sports Interaction: See the latest odds for Argentina vs Paraguay here
| Argentina win | Draw | Paraguay win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | ARG -1.5 | PAR +1.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | -375 | +450 | +1050 | +145 / -210 | -135 / -110 | -130 | -110 |
