Argentina v Bolivia: Lionel Scaloni’s side begin post-World Cup rebuild

Argentina face Bolivia in an international friendly on Thursday, 1 October 2026, with kick-off at 00:00 GMT at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba.

The match will be shown on ZDF in Germany, RTS 1 in Serbia, L’Equipe Live Foot in France, VTM GO in Belgium, DAZN Switzerland and Sunrise TV in Switzerland, DAZN Canada and fuboTV Canada in Canada, and Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom. Viewers in the Netherlands can watch on Ziggo Sport or Ziggo Go, while DAZN Spain has the rights in Spain and Sport TV 2 in Portugal. SuperSport will broadcast the game in sub-Saharan Africa, with beIN Sports HD 2, beIN SPORTS CONNECT and TOD covering the Middle East and North Africa.

Argentina looking to move on

This will be Argentina’s first match since their defeat by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.

For Lionel Scaloni, the fixture represents an opportunity to restore confidence within the squad, help the players recover mentally from that disappointment and begin building a fresh period for the national team. The outcome will therefore be viewed in the context of Argentina’s response to losing the world title, rather than simply as the result of a friendly.

Argentina have a commanding record against Bolivia. Since the teams first met in 1926, they have played 42 times in all competitions. Argentina have won 30 of those matches, while five ended in draws and Bolivia have recorded seven victories.

The scoring record is similarly one-sided. Argentina have found the net 114 times in those meetings, compared with 35 goals for Bolivia.

Bolivia seeking a response

Oscar Villegas’ team arrive in Cordoba during a difficult spell. Their most recent match was a frustrating friendly defeat by Paraguay in Washington, where Bolivia struggled to convert its opportunities.

Miguel Terceros’ missed penalty was a particularly notable example of the team’s problems in attack. The failure from the spot underlined La Verde’s current lack of efficiency in front of goal as they prepare to face one of the strongest sides in international football.

Argentina are consequently considered clear favourites. Their superiority across the pitch, dominant head-to-head record and the presence of a new generation eager to establish itself all point towards a home victory.

With Bolivia also lacking confidence and struggling to make chances count, the expected outcome is a comfortable success for the Albiceleste. Africafoot’s prediction is Argentina to win 2-0.

The bookmakers’ prices also make Argentina strong favourites: a home win is listed at 1.11, a draw at 11.30 and a Bolivia victory at 32.00.