Argentina vs Bolivia Prediction 1 October 2026
🔊 Argentina and Bolivia meet on 30 September in Córdoba in a friendly match. For the hosts, this will be their first game since the World Cup final, in which they lost to Spain 1-0 after extra time. The match comes in a somewhat different atmosphere: Lionel Scaloni has begun gradually refreshing the squad, and Lionel Messi has been called up for the October fixture against Benin, which is expected to be his farewell appearance for the national team. Bolivia, by contrast, come into the match on the back of four consecutive defeats and three games without a goal. The main question for the visitors will be whether they can hold Argentina's attack at bay for any extended periods.
🔁 We will update this prediction as new information about the teams becomes available. Check back just before the match to make sure you don't miss any important changes.
Argentina leave their opponents with little chance
📊 The head-to-head record is almost entirely in Argentina's favour. Across the previous 9 meetings, Argentina have won 7, Bolivia have won 1, and one match ended in a draw. Argentina have never lost on home soil. The last two official matches also ended in convincing wins for the Albiceleste - 3-0 in La Paz in September 2023 and 6-0 in Buenos Aires in October 2024.
Head-to-head statistics Argentina - Bolivia
Argentina are firmly in control
Argentina come into this match on the back of a very strong World Cup. They reached the final, where they lost 1-0 to Spain, having previously beaten Cabo Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and England. Scaloni is already beginning to reshape his squad: with Messi no longer a regular, the manager has gradually been giving more opportunities to younger players. Matias Sule, Santiago Castro and other new faces have come into the current squad, so the coaching staff have the chance to assess their nearest reserves in a friendly.
Argentina consistently generate a high volume of attacking play. In four friendlies in 2026, the team have scored 12 goals and found the net at least twice in every one of them. They have beaten Mauritania (2-1), Zambia (5-0), Honduras (2-0) and Iceland (3-0).
Match Results: Argentina
Bolivia are enduring a tough run of form
Bolivia's recent form is a completely different story. They have lost their last four matches, failing to score in three of them: 1-2 to Iraq, 0-4 to Algeria, 0-4 to Scotland and 0-2 to Paraguay. Their last win remains a 2-1 victory over Suriname back in March. Oscar Villegas's side therefore head to Córdoba with serious problems both in creating chances and in defensive reliability.
In recent matches Bolivia have struggled even against opponents who are considerably weaker than Argentina individually. Against Paraguay they managed six shots on target without scoring. Against that backdrop, it is particularly hard to imagine the visitors being able to withstand Argentine pressure for long.
Match Results: Bolivia
Latest news
Argentina
🔗 Scaloni has made several changes to the squad. Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso have not been called up, Leandro Paredes is suspended for this match, and Juan Foyth and Thiago Almada are out injured. The manager still has plenty of options in attack, while Lionel Messi is no longer considered part of the regular setup following his announcement that he is retiring from international football.
Bolivia
🔗 Bolivia's squad situation looks calmer than their opponents', so Villegas can count on his core group. The main problem is not so much the absence of individual players as the team's current form. Bolivia have conceded twelve goals and scored just one in their last four matches, so even with a cautious approach, the visitors will have to withstand a high volume of positional attacks.
🟨 Yellow Cards Prediction
Head-to-head meetings between these sides don't tend to produce many bookings: Argentina usually control the ball, while Bolivia are more often forced to defend. That said, this is South America, where there are always plenty of physical challenges. In a friendly, though, the absence of competitive pressure is an additional factor. My pick is Total Yellow Cards - Under 4.5.
⚽ Goals Prediction
The friendly nature of the match and Argentina's squad rotation mean there is no automatic case for a repeat of the 6:0 scoreline from the previous meeting between these sides. That said, the gap in current attacking output between the two teams remains too significant to ignore: Argentina have scored 12 goals in their last four friendlies, while Bolivia have managed just one in their last four matches.
Even without Messi, the hosts should create enough chances through their attacking quality. My selection is Argentina Team Total - Over 2.5 at 1.45*.
🚩 Corner Kick Prediction
Argentina regularly generate a high volume of attacking play, but at the World Cup they averaged 4.75 corners per match. So for the selected line to come in, the hosts will need to exceed their usual figure. Bolivia are expected to spend much of the match in a low block, which should force Argentina to attack more through the flanks, deliver crosses and create chances from positional play. Given the hosts' expected territorial dominance, their individual market is the more interesting option here. The selection is Argentina Team Total Corners - Over 5.5.
😱 Risky Bet
Argentina - Handicap (-4) - 3.66*. Argentina are significantly superior to their opponents in terms of current attacking quality, while Bolivia concede a lot and have been regularly struggling defensively in recent matches. The hosts will clearly dominate throughout, but to cover a handicap this large they will need to maintain a high tempo and convert a significant portion of their chances.
🎯 Reliable Bet
Argentina Team Total - Over 1.5 Goals - odds 1.13*. The gap in current form between the two sides is very large, and even without Messi, Argentina's young generation - Nico Paz and others - need to prove their place in the Albiceleste squad. Scoring twice against this opposition should not be a problem for Scaloni's side.
🚀 Player Stat Bet
Giuliano Simeone - 1+ Shot on Target. In his last two friendly appearances for the national team, he registered six shots, five of which were on target. In a home match against Bolivia, Simeone should get a fairly large volume of work on the right flank, particularly given Argentina's expected territorial dominance. In that scenario, the midfielder should have good opportunities to hit the target at least once.
👀 If the match doesn't go to plan
If Argentina score early, there is no reason to assume they will settle for one or two goals and ease off. Scaloni has a large squad, and many of the younger players should be coming on to push the advantage further rather than protect a lead. With that in mind, Argentina Team Total - Over 1.5 goals in the second half is worth considering after the break.
If Bolivia were to score first, Argentina would be under even more pressure to step things up and move to a more aggressive approach. In that scenario, a bet on the hosts to score in the second half could remain just as relevant.
*Odds are approximate and may vary across different bookmakers.
⭐ Editor's Prediction
Argentina are entering a new phase after the World Cup and gradually refreshing their squad, but the gap between the two sides in terms of current form remains significant. Despite the friendly status of the match and Scaloni's experiments, the hosts should be fully in control throughout and regularly create dangerous chances in front of Bolivia's goal. Bolivia have been struggling badly at both ends of the pitch in recent matches, so Argentina are quite capable of turning their advantage into a comfortable win.
Main bet - Argentina - Handicap -2.5. Predicted score: 5-0.
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Betting Tips: Argentina - Bolivia
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