The Argentine embassy in China announced today, Monday, that Lionel Messi will lead his national team in a friendly match against Australia in Beijing on June 15. The Australian Football Federation confirmed in a statement the rematch between the two teams after Argentina's 2-1 victory in the Round of 16 at last year's World Cup, after which Messi and his teammates successfully continued on to win the title in Qatar.
Argentina tops the FIFA world rankings, while Australia is ranked 29th. Australia is preparing to return to Qatar to participate in the AFC Asian Cup in early 2024, and it is expected to play another friendly match against England at Wembley in October. Messi has dispelled doubts about his international retirement following the World Cup victory, having scored a goal in the 2-0 win over Panama and netting a hat-trick in a dominant 7-0 victory over Curacao in a friendly amidst a celebratory atmosphere among Argentina's fans in March.
