Messi's last club match before the farewell, and River's game moves to Oct. 14

River Plate will play its league match at Sarmiento on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 19:00 in Argentina — Thursday, Oct. 15 at 06:00 in Shanghai — eight days after Lionel Messi's farewell at the Monumental on Oct. 6, the stadium River rents to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) 1.

The Liga Profesional confirmed four changes to round 11 of the Clausura and published the full programme for round 12 on Saturday afternoon in Argentina, early Sunday in Shanghai 1. On Friday the AFA had left River's match where it was, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, with the club's request to move it still unanswered 2.

Three other matches in the same round moved, and the league gave the reason as Argentina's friendly against Burkina Faso at the Monumental on Saturday, Oct. 3. Boca Juniors against Unión goes from Sunday to Friday, Argentinos Juniors against Tigre from Saturday to Sunday, and Huracán against Aldosivi from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon 1.

River asked for exactly the outcome it got. The club had proposed Wednesday, Oct. 14 for Sarmiento, and wanted its round-12 match against Estudiantes de Río Cuarto kept on the weekend of Oct. 10; the published programme has that one at the Monumental on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 21:30 1. Five River players are tied to the farewell: Santiago Beltrán, Nicolás Otamendi and Tobías Andrada are in Lionel Scaloni's squad, and Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuña have been invited to the ceremony as 2022 World Cup winners 2.

Messi plays for Inter Miami at Columbus Crew on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET — Monday 07:00 in Shanghai — at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on MLS Matchday 28 3. It is his last club match before he joins Argentina in Buenos Aires, and the Miami Herald expects him to play it 4. Inter Miami lists him as available for Sunday, and he joins Argentina only for the Oct. 6 friendly against Benin 5.

Inter Miami is third in the Eastern Conference on 46 points from 26 games — 12 wins, four losses and 10 draws — and has the league's best away record, eight wins, two losses and three draws on the road 3. Messi leads MLS in goals and assists, on 20 and 13 3. The reigning MLS MVP could become the first three-time winner of the award, with eight regular-season games left 3.

Columbus is 13th on 26 points from 26 games, seven points behind FC Cincinnati for the ninth and final playoff place with eight games left 3. Columbus arrives off a 2-0 win at CF Montréal on Sept. 19, with second-half goals from Mohamed Farsi and Brais Méndez, and a 2-1 win over Orlando City the previous midweek that put the Crew into next month's US Open Cup final as hosts 3.

Inter Miami travels without Mateo Silvetti, Tadeo Allende and Telasco Segovia, and Columbus without Wessam Abou Ali 6. Miami added a forward for the trip: Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida, 21, on a short-term agreement from the club's reserve side, where he led Inter Miami CF II with 10 goals this season. He is available for selection at Columbus 7.

The AFA has invited the whole 2022 World Cup-winning squad, and their families, to the Oct. 6 match 8. Seven Argentina players based in Italy are expected to travel for it, Gazzetta dello Sport reported: Lautaro Martínez, Nicolás González, Franco Mastantuono, Nicolás Paz, and Roma's Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro 8. Serie A resumes on Oct. 10, so their clubs get them back on the eve of that round 8.

Roma turned down a request to release Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina for the match, Football Italia reported, citing Sky Sport Italia, Tuttomercatoweb and Radio Mana Mana. Gian Piero Gasperini wanted the pair to skip the round trip before a Serie A match at Como on Oct. 11 9. Dybala was not called up, and Molina is serving a seven-match suspension 9. Gazzetta dello Sport, writing earlier the same day, had the two still waiting on a decision 8.

Kickoff times for the three friendlies have still not been announced 8.