This article contains adult content that may be inappropriate for minors. Please confirm that you are 18 years or older to continue. This article contains images or details that some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. Nicolás Otamendi, 38 years old, Argentine central defender for Benfica and the World Cup champion national team, recently confirmed that he will retire from his national team after the 2026 World Cup, a decision also made known by Lionel Messi, the star of Argentina. The match against Zambia in Buenos Aires, scheduled for the early hours of this Wednesday, takes on dramatic significance, as from a sporting perspective it is just another friendly match for both teams. Otamendi and Messi will bid farewell to the Argentine public on home soil, as this is the last match held in the country before the competition takes place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Lionel Scaloni, Argentina's coach, assured in advance that the Benfica team captain will play and explained the reason: he deserves to be honored. "Otamendi did not play the other day [against Mauritania] due to some discomfort, but tomorrow [today] he will be there. He deserves to play the last game in Argentina," said Scaloni. Nicolás Otamendi, it should be noted, has been sidelined for three weeks, with the classic against FC Porto at Luz, which ended in a 2-2 draw, being his last competitive appearance. However, the Argentine coach now reveals that the central defender has fully recovered, especially since he has already participated in a training session with the Argentine U-20 national team, an opportunity for Scaloni to give playing time to players who did not feature or had limited minutes in the friendly match against Mauritania (2-1). This is good news for José Mourinho, coach of the Reds, and for Benfica, who have a trip to Rio Maior to face Casa Pia on April 6 (Monday) at 20:45, a match counting for the 28th round of the league. It is also worth mentioning that Otamendi is the fifth player with the most international caps for Argentina (129), behind Messi (197), Mascherano (147), Di María (138), and Javier Zanetti (144). Another Benfica player in focus for the Argentina national team is winger Gianluca Prestianni, who did not get any minutes in the match against Mauritania (he was even left out of the matchday squad), but it is expected that he could be used in the match against Zambia. He is one of the names in the final discussion for a spot among Lionel Scaloni's selected players for the World Cup, but he will need to do something very special to convince the coach.
Benfica World Cup remains central to this story.
Benfica World Cup remains central to this story.
Read more in Serie A news. and related tags: Benfica, World Cup.