Yes, Messi is expected to play in the Argentina-Guatemala match tonight. Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi will start and could play the .
After using some of their reserve and fringe players in a 1-0 win over Ecuador last weekend, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni will likely bring back some of his stars into the starting lineup. Alexis Mac Allister, Nahuel Molina, and Messi could all return to the starting lineup.
MORE: Buy Argentina Copa America ticketsUSA: Fans in the U.S. can watch this international friendly match on TruTV in English and Fox Deportes in Spanish. The latter is available to stream on Fubo who are offering a FREE seven-day trial. Fans can also catch the game on Sling TV.
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What time is Argentina vs. Guatemala kickoff?
This international friendly match kicks off from Commanders Field on Friday, June 14 at 8:00 p.m. local time in Landover, Mary. Here's how that time translates across the rest of the US:
 Date Kickoff time
Eastern Time Fri, Jun. 14 8 p.m.
Central Time Fri, Jun. 14 7 p.m.
Mountain Time Fri, Jun. 14 6 p.m.
Pacific Time Fri, Jun. 14 5 p.m.
Alaska ST Fri, Jun. 14 4 p.m.
Hawaii ST Fri, Jun. 14 3 p.m.
Argentina vs. Guatemala lineups & team news
Argentina worked out some of its fringe and reserve players in the 1-0 win over Ecuador, including Marcus Acuna, Leandro Paredes, Gonzalo Montiel, and Leandro Paredes. Now, in their last game before Copa America, expect coach Lionel Scaloni to bring in his strongest team available. That includes starting Lionel Messi, Alexis Mac Allister, and Nicolas Tagliafico. Nahuel Molina should also be fit to return from injury and could even start.
Argentina projected starting lineup (4-3-3): Martinez (GK) — Molina, Romero, Martinez, Tagliafico — Mac Allister, De Paul, Lo Celso — Di Maria, Alvarez, Messi
Guatemala started off 2026 World Cup qualifying on a positive manner with two dominant wins over Dominica and the British Virgin Islands. For this friendly match against Argentina, they'll be without American-born Aaron Herrera and England-born forward Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. But they'll still have another pair of American-born players, Rubio Rubin and 17-year-old Olger Escobar, who plays for New England Revolution II. Guatemala projected starting lineup (5-3-2): Hagan (GK) — Ardon, Samayoa, Pinto, Morales, Castellanos — Galindo, Alexander, Franco — Rubin, Martinez.
Argentina vs. Guatemala prediction
Score prediction: Argentina 2-0 Guatemala
With more of their A squad available and the standard of opposition down, Argentina should have no problem dispatching Guatemala in style. It's only a matter of how many goals they will score.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Sporting News has editorial oversight for this content. Learn more >After grinding out a 1-0 victory over Ecuador, Argentina will now play their final Copa America tune-up game against Guatemala on Friday. It's a tough match to know what Lionel Scaloni will do because while Argentina's rotations are well set, nothing would be worse than a major member of the squad picking up an injury ahead of their Copa America title defense, so don't be surprised if stars get limited minutes.
Here are our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
Date: Friday, June 14 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: FedEx Field -- Landover, Maryland
TV: Fox Deportes | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Odds: Guatemala +4000; Draw +900; Argentina -3000
Storylines
Argentina: After Lionel Messi came off the bench against Ecuador, he may start this game to gain fitness but this is also a good time for younger players like Alejandro Garnacho and Valentin Barco to get a run out. I'd also expect Enzo Fernandez to continue to build fitness after missing the end of the season for Chelsea but when it comes to Argentina, they know who they are and friendlies are just another chance for repetition while integrating others.
Guatemala: Following strong performances in World Cup qualifying, Guatemala are continuing the excellent friendly scheduling that will have now seen them face Venezuela, Ecuador, and Nicaragua during the calendar year. While these may not all lead to wins, they will ensure that Guatemala are on the right track for the 2026 World Cup which is a massive opportunity.
Prediction
Argentina will get another comfortable victory but this is a Guatamela side on the rise who will at least test Emiliano Martinez a few times during the match. Pick: Argentina 3, Guatemala 0
