Messi’s Argentina reportedly weighing three possible opponents for November friendly in India

Lionel Messi’s Argentina are set to tour India in November, but their opponent for the friendly has yet to be confirmed.

Argentina still have four friendly matches remaining on the calendar before the end of 2025, including a scheduled tour of India in November. However, Lionel Messi and his teammates still do not know who they’ll be facing during that trip.

The September international break marked the end of competitive fixtures for Argentina in 2025, as they will not play any more World Cup qualifiers. Meanwhile, the Finalissima against Spain is not expected to take place until March 2026. With that scenario in place, Argentina will use the remaining two international breaks of the year to play friendlies.

In October, Lionel Scaloni’s team will return to the United States for the first time since their 2024 Copa America title. On October 10, they will face Venezuela in Miami, followed by a match against Puerto Rico on October 13 in Chicago.

What remains to be finalized is Argentina’s schedule for the November international break. The current plan is to travel to Africa for a friendly against Angola — a national team with slim hopes of reaching the playoffs for the next World Cup. The second match of that tour is set to be played in Kerala, India, but the opponent has not yet been determined.

According to journalist Gaston Edul, three teams appear to be leading candidates to face Argentina in India: Japan, South Korea, or Saudi Arabia. However, an African national team could also be an option, since by that time, the current stage of CAF World Cup qualifiers will have ended and nine teams will already be qualified.

Japan and South Korea have already booked their place at the World Cup

South Korea and Japan have an edge when it comes to potentially facing Argentina in a friendly. Both teams have already secured their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by finishing first in Groups B and C, respectively, in the third round of AFC qualifiers.

That means both nations have an open calendar to schedule friendlies for the rest of the year. In fact, they’ll be playing against the same teams: both have confirmed matches against Paraguay and Brazil in October, and also against Bolivia in November.

Saudi Arabia’s uncertain schedule

Unlike Japan and South Korea, Saudi Arabia still have official competition on their schedule this year. They failed to qualify directly for the World Cup after finishing behind Japan and Australia in the third round of AFC qualifiers, meaning they’ll have to go through another stage.

The six Asian teams still in the running will compete in the fourth round of qualifiers during the October international break. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia will battle in one group, while Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman will do the same in the other.

If Saudi Arabia finish first in their group, they’ll automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada — clearing their November calendar and potentially allowing them to face Messi’s Argentina. However, if they finish second, they will be required to play again in November during the final phase of qualifiers, trying to lock in a spot in the March intercontinental playoffs.