Uruguay and Argentina have confirmed a friendly match for the upcoming November international window. The historic River Plate derby will be played on Friday, 13 November in Buenos Aires, following a joint announcement by both nations' football associations. Bielsa's side enters this fixture off the back of their last result, a 6-1 win over India on Tuesday 6 October, and on a two-game winning run.
The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) and the Argentine Football Association (AFA) finalised the agreement during the 37th FIFA Council in Zurich, with their presidents, Ignacio Alonso and Claudio Tapia, in attendance. Initial plans for a home-and-away double-header were scrapped in favour of a single match on Argentine soil. The likely venue is La Bombonera, the stadium that hosted Uruguay's 2-0 victory over Argentina in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.
For La Celeste, this fixture represents a high-level test in their preparation. The team managed by Marcelo Bielsa arrives in good form, having secured two consecutive wins on their Asian tour. Their most recent result was a commanding 6-1 victory over India, with goals from Darwin Núñez, Matías Araujo (two), Rodrigo Zalazar, Javier Sanabria and Rodrigo Aguirre. Prior to that, they defeated South Korea 4-1. Their recent form over the last three matches is two wins and one loss, with a 3-1 defeat to Japan on Thursday 24 September preceding the two victories. Darwin Núñez, their top scorer in this run, netted a brace in the 4-1 win over South Korea and opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 6-1 win over India.
A historic classic
The last friendly between these sides was in November 2019 in Tel Aviv, which ended 2-2. Since then, they have met five times, all in official competitions like the Copa América and World Cup qualifiers. The last time they played a friendly on either nation's soil was over two decades ago, in July 2003 in La Plata, also finishing 2-2.
For Argentina, the match will serve as a test in a renewal phase following the international retirement of icons like Lionel Messi and Nicolás Otamendi. Their coach, Lionel Scaloni, will use the date to evaluate players, with Cristian Romero confirmed as the new captain. Argentina will also face Costa Rica on 17 November in Córdoba.
Uruguay, meanwhile, will not be able to host the match at the Estadio Centenario, a factor in the decision to play only once in Buenos Aires. The 13 November clash promises to reignite one of South American football's most passionate rivalries.
First reported at FútbolUy
