Messi defies Argentina shirt ban in Paraguay!

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is confident that his country's shirts will be in the stands at the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asuncion, despite the Paraguayan Football Association's ban on wearing rival team shirts during the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Paraguay. Fernando Villasboa, the federation's director of football, has asked fans to wear only Paraguayan shirts, warning that Argentina shirts or any shirts bearing the names of players from other countries will not be allowed. However, Scaloni has stressed in press statements that the influence of Lionel Messi, the Argentine star, goes beyond this ban, noting that Paraguayan fans, despite their support for their team, will be in the stands wearing Argentina shirts because of Messi's global fame. Scaloni added that simply wearing a shirt does not mean that one is not a Paraguayan supporter, stressing that Messi remains a global icon who transcends borders. Argentina lead the South American qualifiers with 22 points, three ahead of Colombia, and prepare to face Paraguay in Asuncion on Friday, before hosting Peru on November 19.