Argentina vs. Chile in World Cup qualifier: How to watch Lionel Messi play Thursday

05-06-2025

Argentina vs. Chile in World Cup qualifier: How to watch Lionel Messi play Thursday
Show Caption
Hide Caption
lionel-messi-fifa-club-world-cup-michelob-ultra-TV-commercial
Soccer superstar Lionel Messi appears in a new Michelob Ultra TV commercia for the FIFA Club World Cup.
Lionel Messi is healthy and available to play with Argentina for the first time this year in a World Cup qualifying match on Thursday night.
Messi and the World Cup champions will be on the road playing against Chile at Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos in Santiago, Chile.
It's unclear whether Messi will start or come off the bench, Argentine national team coach Lionel Scaloni said Wednesday.
Argentina has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, and could use this match to play several young players on its roster. Several players are also suspended or won't play to rest after long seasons.
Knowing it's one of the few times Messi will wear his Argentina jersey this year, expect to see him in action representing his beloved home country.
Chile will host Argentina on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET (10 p.m. in Argentina).
The match will be broadcast by TYC Sports Internacional USA on DirecTV, YouTube TV, Sling TV and Fubo. Fanatiz also has a pay-per-view live stream available.
Here's a link to watch the match on Fubo.
Messi's status as a starter or substitute will be confirmed when Argentina announces its starting lineup for the match.
What did Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni say about Messi?
"We haven't decided yet whether he'll start the game or not. I need to talk to him, especially because it would be good to know how he's feeling physically. We've talked about a lot of things, but not about this specifically," Scaloni said about Messi Wednesday.
"We're in a position where we can try other things, and in principle, he's available to play. We'll see. He had a good game last Saturday, so this guy is ready to play. We'll decide how he is."
How fit is Lionel Messi before Argentina match in Chile?
Messi, 37, is coming off one of his best stretches in 2025, scoring five goals in his last three matches with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. He was named MLS Player of the Month after seven goals and four assists in seven matches in May. He scored two goals with three assists in Inter Miami's 5-1 win against Columbus Crew last Saturday.
When was the last time Messi played with Argentina?
Messi last played with the national team in November: He was scoreless as Argentina lost 2-1 to Paraguay on Nov. 14, 2024, and had the assist to Lautaro Martinez in a 1-0 win over Peru on Nov. 19, 2024.
Playing with Argentina before the MLS Cup playoffs last year, Messi was scoreless in a 1-1 draw against Venezuela on Oct. 11, 2024, then exploded with a hat trick and two assists in a 6-0 victory over Bolivia on Oct. 15, 2024.
Messi was unable to play with Argentina in March against Uruguay and Brazil, while he was recovering from an adductor strain. Argentina beat Uruguay 1-0 on March 21, and beat Brazil 4-1 on March 25.
Lionel Messi's upcoming schedule with Argentina, Inter Miami

Hashtags

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Jen Pawol breaks MLB's gender barrier as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game

NBC News

35 minutes ago

NBC News

Jen Pawol breaks MLB's gender barrier as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game

ATLANTA — Jen Pawol has made history as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the major leagues. Pawol's much-anticipated debut came as the first base umpire for Saturday's first game of a split doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. She enjoyed a quiet first inning, watching as Braves right-hander Hurston Waldrep struck out the first two batters before Agustin Ramirez lined out to third baseman Nacho Alvarez. The Braves also were set down in order by Miami right-hander Ryan Gusto in the bottom of the first inning, with no calls from Pawol needed at first base. As the first base umpire, Pawol's responsibility was to check Waldrep's hands for foreign substances following the inning. During that brief encounter she also appeared to receive a warm greeting from Braves catcher Sean Murphy on his way to the dugout. Pawol will work third base in Saturday night's second game of the doubleheader. She will be in the spotlight when she calls pitches behind the plate in Sunday's final game of the series. There was much anticipation for her historic debut on Saturday. A crowd of photographers gathered while waiting for the umpires to walk onto the field from their entry ramp near the Marlins dugout. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough and Braves bench coach Walt Weiss greeted Pawol when lineups were exchanged at home plate before the game. Pawol then jogged down the first base line. She shook hands with Marlins first base coach Tyler Smarslok before taking her position on the right field line for the first pitch. Pawol said Thursday she was 'overcome with emotion' when notified she would make her Major League Baseball debut this weekend. 'It was super emotional to finally be living that phone call that I'd been hoping for and working towards for quite a while, and I just felt super full — I feel like a fully charged battery ready to go,' Pawol said. Pawol, 48, has been working in the minor leagues since she was assigned to the Gulf Coast League in 2016. She was assigned the Triple-A championship game in 2023 and worked spring training games in 2024 and again this year. Pawol, who is from New Jersey, had only a few days to prepare for Saturday's doubleheader. She said she was told of her long-awaited promotion during a Wednesday conference call with director of umpire development Rich Rieker and vice president of umpire operations Matt McKendry. Pawol was a three-time all-conference softball selection pick at Hofstra. She worked as an NCAA softball umpire from 2010-16. Pawol's rise to make MLB history came 28 years after the NBA gender barrier for game officials was broken and 10 years after the NFL hired its first full-time female official. The men's soccer World Cup first hired a female referee three years ago. The NHL has not had any women as on-ice officials.

38 minutes ago

Jen Pawol breaks MLB's gender barrier as first female umpire for regular-season game

ATLANTA -- Jen Pawol has made history as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the major leagues. Pawol's much-anticipated debut came as the first base umpire for Saturday's first game of a split doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. She enjoyed a quiet first inning, watching as Braves right-hander Hurston Waldrep struck out the first two batters before Agustin Ramirez lined out to third baseman Nacho Alvarez. The Braves also were set down in order by Miami right-hander Ryan Gusto in the bottom of the first inning, with no calls from Pawol needed at first base. As the first base umpire, Pawol's responsibility was to check Waldrep's hands for foreign substances following the inning. During that brief encounter she also appeared to receive a warm greeting from Braves catcher Sean Murphy on his way to the dugout. Pawol will work third base in Saturday night's second game of the doubleheader. She will be in the spotlight when she calls pitches behind the plate in Sunday's final game of the series. There was much anticipation for her historic debut on Saturday. A crowd of photographers gathered while waiting for the umpires to walk onto the field from their entry ramp near the Marlins dugout. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough and Braves bench coach Walt Weiss greeted Pawol when lineups were exchanged at home plate before the game. Pawol then jogged down the first base line. She shook hands with Marlins first base coach Tyler Smarslok before taking her position on the right field line for the first pitch. Pawol said Thursday she was 'overcome with emotion' when notified she would make her Major League Baseball debut this weekend. 'It was super emotional to finally be living that phone call that I'd been hoping for and working towards for quite a while, and I just felt super full — I feel like a fully charged battery ready to go," Pawol said. Pawol, 48, has been working in the minor leagues since she was assigned to the Gulf Coast League in 2016. She was assigned the Triple-A championship game in 2023 and worked spring training games in 2024 and again this year. Pawol, who is from New Jersey, had only a few days to prepare for Saturday's doubleheader. She said she was told of her long-awaited promotion during a Wednesday conference call with director of umpire development Rich Rieker and vice president of umpire operations Matt McKendry. Pawol was a three-time all-conference softball selection pick at Hofstra. She worked as an NCAA softball umpire from 2010-16. Pawol's rise to make MLB history came 28 years after the NBA gender barrier for game officials was broken and 10 years after the NFL hired its first full-time female official. The men's soccer World Cup first hired a female referee three years ago. The NHL has not had any women as on-ice officials.

2025 Western & Southern Open: Lys [62nd] vs. Keys [6th] Prediction, Odds and Match Preview

USA Today

40 minutes ago

USA Today

2025 Western & Southern Open: Lys [62nd] vs. Keys [6th] Prediction, Odds and Match Preview

In the Western & Southern Open Round of 64 on Saturday, we have a matchup featuring No. 6-ranked Madison Keys versus No. 62 Eva Lys. Keys is the favorite against Lys in this match, with -526 odds compared to the underdog's +360. Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Saturday at 10:35 AM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Eva Lys vs. Madison Keys matchup info Watch the Tennis Channel and more sports on Fubo! Lys vs. Keys Prediction Based on the implied probility from the moneyline, Lys has an 84.0% to win. Lys vs. Keys Betting Odds Lys vs. Keys matchup performance & stats