Soccer Football - World Cup - South American Qualifiers - Argentina Press Conference - Lionel Andres Messi Training Ground, Buenos Aires, Argentina - November 13, 2024 Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is seen through a reflection during the press conference REUTERS/Pedro Lazaro Fernandez
(Reuters) - Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is confident there will be Lionel Messi jerseys in the home section despite the Paraguayan Football Association's (APF) ban on rival shirts ahead of Thursday's South American World Cup 2026 qualifier.
Argentina will play Paraguay at the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asuncion on Thursday, and APF manager Fernando Villasboa warned the home crowd to wear only Paraguayan shirts as no jerseys from Argentina, Argentine clubs or clubs that contain the names of players from other countries will be allowed.
"We won't allow the other team's shirt. It's not a problem against Messi. We respect the careers of all footballers. It's just that the home ground is very important to us," Villasboa told local press on Wednesday.
Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said: "I have nothing to do with the t-shirt ban. I had no idea about that. I think the idea is to reduce the margin of a possible source of conflict."
"Messi is our rival tomorrow, I wish him the best game of his life against Peru, but not tomorrow," he added.
However, Scaloni said the global impact of Argentina's number 10, the country's all-time leading scorer and World Cup winner, is far greater.
"Logically, for the Paraguayan footballer, for the fan, they all want to wear the national team shirt. But Leo (Messi) is stronger than all that and there will be Argentina shirts," Scaloni told a news conference on Wednesday.
"It doesn't mean they don't support Paraguay. I think it's good that football people recognise what he is. And it's not because you have a shirt that you become an Argentina fan.
Argentina sit atop the South American standings on 22 points, three clear of Colombia. After the Paraguay match, they will host Peru on Nov. 19.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Nicholas Yong)
