Scaloni's renewal talks have begun, and Cuti Romero is Argentina's next captain

The AFA has opened talks with Lionel Scaloni over a new contract. The federation announced it on its official channels on Friday night in Buenos Aires, Saturday morning in Shanghai, with a photograph of Scaloni and AFA president Claudio Tapia at the Ezeiza training ground and a single line: talks over the renewal of his contract as Argentina coach "have begun" 1.

Scaloni's deal, and his staff's, run to the end of December. TyC Sports reported that the extension under discussion runs for two years, to the 2028 Copa América, with an option for two more that would reach the 2030 World Cup 1. Neither side has confirmed those terms.

The announcement followed the clearest signal yet from Scaloni himself. At Ezeiza on Thursday, after Argentina's training session, he said: "We are going to talk; there is every willingness to sit down and talk" 2. "Without a doubt the desire to be here exists, but there are many aspects we have to deal with the president" 2.

Asked whether a new deal turned on money or on football, he said: "A bit of everything" 2. He also said he would not treat the job as his by right: "It is a dream come true, but that does not mean I have to cling to the post forever. There are certain conditions we have to deal with the president, and we will see whether we reach an agreement" 2.

He arrived at this window after casting doubt on his future in the aftermath of the World Cup final, when Argentina lost and he said he would see what he did once his contract ended. Several players had already come out in public asking him to stay, among them his new captain 2.

Scaloni also settled who leads Argentina once Messi's international career ends: Cristian "Cuti" Romero, the 28-year-old Atlético Madrid centre-back. "The captain is going to be Cuti. He was already third captain behind Leo and Ota," Scaloni said, referring to Messi and Nicolás Otamendi. "There is Emiliano (Martínez), who can also wear it. Rodrigo (De Paul), who will not be here for these two matches, can wear it too. Lautaro (Martínez) can wear it. Cuti is the right one" 3.

Romero has worn the armband three times for Argentina: in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Chile in 2025, in a friendly against Venezuela that October, and in the 2-1 win over Mauritania before the World Cup 3.

The AFA set out how the reduced capacity will work at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes for Argentina's friendly against Bolivia on Sept. 30. FIFA's sanction, the federation said, responds to "racist, homophobic and discriminatory chanting and insults" by Argentina supporters at the matches against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland, England and Spain, and carries a fine plus the partial closure of 50 percent of the stands, mostly the ones behind the goals 4.

Three sections are affected. The Popular Sur stand will hold no spectators at all. The Popular Norte will lose 2,500 seats against its usual capacity. The Platea Este will be reserved for children up to 12 from clubs and social organisations 4.

Messi is still in Florida, training with Inter Miami. Columbus Crew host Inter Miami on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET — Monday 07:00 in Shanghai — at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field 5. That match is his last before he flies to Buenos Aires to join Argentina 6.

He is available for Columbus, and will link up with Argentina afterwards for the Benin friendly on Oct. 6 7. Rodrigo De Paul, who stayed in Florida with him, is available for Columbus too and will join Argentina only for Benin 6.

Inter Miami travels third in the Eastern Conference on 46 points from 26 games. Columbus sits 13th on 26 points from 26 8. Messi leads his club and the league on 20 goals, and is level with the league's leading assist providers on 13 5.

One squad change for Sunday: Riquelme Fillipi, the 19-year-old Brazilian winger, has completed the work documentation he had been waiting on and is clear to make his Inter Miami debut 5. Miami has drawn each of its last four league matches 6.

The Argentina camp, meanwhile, has closed its first week. The squad trained on Friday evening — gym work first, then speed and coordination drills in three stations, then 40 minutes of possession, counter-pressing and finishing with the group split into three teams. Saturday and Sunday are days off, and the squad returns on Monday at 16:00 in Argentina, Tuesday 03:00 in Shanghai, with the first 30 minutes open to annually accredited media. Scaloni's press conference is on Tuesday at 14:15 in Argentina, Wednesday 01:15 in Shanghai 9.

The AFA left River Plate's Clausura match against Sarmiento where it was, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, the day after Messi's farewell at the Monumental, the stadium River rents to the federation 10. River had asked for the game to move to Wednesday, Oct. 14, and proposed keeping its next fixture, against Estudiantes de Río Cuarto, on the weekend of Oct. 10 10.

The club's argument was the international window. Santiago Beltrán, Nicolás Otamendi and Tobías Andrada are in Scaloni's squad, and Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuña have been invited to the farewell as 2022 World Cup winners — five players who would be at the Monumental the night before the Sarmiento match 10.

The refusal lands inside a wider dispute. After the executive committee meeting, the AFA said the reform proposals River brought would be dealt with only for the 2028 season, then amended the same statement hours later to add a request that River not charge rent for the Monumental at the friendlies and give that money to charity 10. Mario Leito, the Atlético Tucumán president, answered the proposals: "They are not going to take this away from us that easily" 10.

Kickoff times for all three friendlies had still not been announced. The Bolivia match is the one at the reduced Kempes capacity 4.