Messi and teammates carry oxygen tanks before the high altitude challenge in Bolivia

Messi and Argentina will play their second match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America against Bolivia at the Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz at 3:00 a.m. on September 13. This is an area with an altitude of 3,650 m above sea level, the thin air can easily cause players who are not used to the competition conditions to run out of breath and have difficulty breathing...

Messi was given a rest to regain his fitness before the match against Bolivia in La Paz, 3,650 m above sea level.

Previously, the International Football Federation (FIFA) banned matches at stadiums above 2,500 meters, causing Bolivia's Estadio Hernando Siles to be unable to host World Cup qualifying matches for a while. But a few months later, FIFA raised the altitude to over 3,000 meters, allowing Estadio Hernando Siles to be granted special permission to host matches again.

Brazilian striker Neymar once criticized this decision as "inhumane", when posting a photo of Brazilian players wearing oxygen masks before playing against Bolivia in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

Messi also had many unhappy memories at Estadio Hernando Siles. He once came here with the Argentina team to play against Bolivia in the World Cup qualifiers, such as the terrible 1-6 loss in April 2009. Then there was the 1-1 draw in March 2013 and the hard-fought 2-1 victory in October 2020 under coach Lionel Scaloni. This was also the only victory of Messi and the Argentina team against Bolivia in La Paz in recent years. "Personally, I think it is impossible to play football in La Paz," Messi once said after playing at this venue.

Midfielder Mac Allister posted a photo of himself using an oxygen tank to breathe when he arrived in La Paz.

The Argentine Football Federation has prepared a personal oxygen tank for each player.

In total, Messi has only had 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses in the Argentina national team's matches against Bolivia in La Paz. The 36-year-old superstar, even at the peak of his career when he played here, "achieved" a round zero: 0 goals and 0 assists.

Because his health was not really good, after scoring the only goal for Argentina against Ecuador 1-0 on September 8, Messi had to go to the hospital for a check-up. However, he still decided to fly with the whole team to La Paz to prepare for the match against Bolivia.

Messi (right)

The Argentine Football Federation has prepared a personal oxygen tank for each player to help them cope with the thin air in La Paz. Whether Messi will play or not is still uncertain. On September 11, the superstar continued to not practice, the remaining players only practiced for a short time, according to TyC Sports (Argentina).

Journalist Gaston Edul of TyC Sports channel said: "Messi will definitely play, but he can only come off the bench, or play only one half to protect his health."

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