BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Defending champion Argentina will prepare for the upcoming Copa America tournament by playing warm-up matches against Ecuador and Guatemala next month in the United States.

Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates will face Ecuador at Soldier Field in Chicago on June 9, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) said Thursday. Five days later, the reigning World Cup champions will play Guatemala at Commanders Field in Washington, D.C.

That will be Argentina’s last warm-up game before it opens its Copa América campaign on June 20 against Canada in Atlanta.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni will have to submit his final 26-man roster for the tournament on June 12.

Scaloni is leaning toward selecting most of the players that won the country’s third World Cup title in Qatar in 2022.

Argentina will be in Group A, which also includes Chile and Peru.

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