Can Wales make headlines in football-mad Argentina?

July 11, 2026 No Comments

Can Wales make headlines in football-mad Argentina?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Julian Montoya, Lionel Messi and Dewi Lake will captain their respective international sides on SaturdayByGareth GriffithsBBC Sport Wales in San JuanPublished59 minutes agoIt is fair to say that talk of one sporting event has dominated in Argentina this week.And it has not been Wales’ Nations Championship game against the Pumas, which takes place in San Juan on Saturday evening.The main story in town for the football-mad locals has been Argentina’s attempt to win the round-ball World Cup for the second time in succession.Wales face the Pumas at 16:10 local time on Saturday (20:10 BST), with the match finishing about four hours before Lionel Messi and Co play Switzerland in the World Cup quarter-final.Most of Argentina will be counting down to kick-off in Kansas. By that time, however, Wales’ rugby side will hope to have made their own headlines.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Argentina fans have been celebrating football wins in Buenos AiresWales arrived in San Juan, a city in western Argentina, on Thursday after spending a couple of days in Buenos Aires.In the capital you could not escape football, with massive murals of Diego Maradona and Messi plastered around Buenos Aires on the drive in from the airport.There were spectacular scenes after Messi helped Argentina turn around a 2-0 deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in the last-16 match in Atlanta.Thousands of fans had huddled around television screens in shops, bars and restaurants, with any passer-by able to work out the score thanks to the sights and sounds of the street.Following Argentina’s thrilling comeback win, those fans migrated to a city square, which includes the famous Obelisk monument where celebrations in the city are traditionally held, with horns blaring.The scenes were wild, with fans from all walks of life and ages chanting furiously into the night.Celebrations later spilled over with armed riot police briefly intervening – and this was only the last 16.What information do we collect from this quiz?

Argentina fans gathered in a square — Image caption,

Argentina are hoping to retain the football World Cup

Nations Championship: Argentina v Wales

Saturday, 11 July (20:10 BST)

Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan

Listen on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app which also has live text commentary. Watch live on S4C.

It is winter in South America, with chilly conditions and dark nights drawing in just after 5pm. It is a far cry from yet another heatwave in Wales.

Steve Tandy’s side have had limited preparation time for this game and face six flights in two weeks as they next go on to face South Africa in Durban.

The touring party was split over two flights on consecutive days from London Heathrow to Buenos Aires, a journey that took 18 hours and crossed four time zones.

With the first party arriving on Monday and the rest 24 hours later, there was just one full training day – a main session with the entire squad which lasted around an hour – at the Buenos Aires Rugby and Cricket ground on Wednesday.

But you will not find Wales moaning about the logistical challenges of the Nations Championship.

“You can complain about the travel and the flights and things like that, but many sportspeople in different countries will be used to it,” mentioned captain Dewi Lake.

“Argentina would have done it coming over to play us plenty of times.

“The first couple of days is tough, but you get back to normal and into a rhythm. This week is no different.”

No excuses has been Tandy’s mantra. As Lake says, this week is no different.

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Wales prepare to take flight to Argentina
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San Juan has hosted Wales before when they beat the Pumas in 2018 — Image caption,

San Juan has hosted Wales before when they beat the Pumas in 2018

Thursday was Argentina‘s national independence day, when celebrations and pomp and ceremony brought parts of the capital to a standstill.

Wales, meanwhile, decamped to San Juan on another two-hour flight.

It is a much quieter destination that is a stark contrast from the bustling Buenos Aires streets.

San Juan is situated at the summit of the Andes mountain range and is famous for its wine, with Mendoza 100 miles away.

This will be Argentina’s eighth official match in the city and the second time they have faced Wales here, with the tourists winning 23-10 in 2018.

It is an intimate venue that features about 25,000 seats decked out in the traditional blue and white of the home side and the unique fencing which provides a caged effect and separates the supporters and the players.

The stadium is located on an industrial estate with the mountains looming beyond and stray dogs strolling around as natural inhabitants.

That Wales victory eight years ago was Aaron Wainwright’s debut, with current squad members Adam Beard, Dillon Lewis, Ryan Elias, Tomos Williams and Josh Adams also part of that victorious tour.

Further knowledge of playing in Argentina comes from Tandy, who toured with Scotland during his stint as defence coach.

Lake captained Wales Under-20s to a notable win against New Zealand in Rosario in 2019, with that squad including Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell, Ben Warren, Sam Costelow and Teddy Williams.

The limited air time given to rugby in this footballing week has included discussion of the fact that Argentina are notoriously slow starters in these campaigns, as demonstrated last week when they lost 47-38 to Scotland in Cordoba.

Tandy and Wales will need no reminding of the heartache caused by Argentina in the nations’ two most recent encounters.

Wales’ 2023 World Cup quarter-final defeat in Marseille was followed by Argentina ruining Tandy’s first game in charge with a record 52-28 win in Cardiff last November.

Wales have just mustered a mini-revival, having beaten Italy and Fiji to register back-to-back Test wins for the first time since the World Cup.

Tandy’s side are still ranked 11th in the world, four places below this weekend’s opponents, but can climb into the top 10 if they win.

They are chasing a breakthrough victory in every sense.

Wales drop Rees-Zammit to bench as Costelow starts
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Nations Championship: Steve Tandy explains Wales selections for Argentina

Tandy has freshened his side with a selection that has provided noticeable sub-plots.

In a country which worships footballing number 10s, the Wales fly-half jersey is one talking point.

The keys for this game have been handed to Costelow instead of Dan Edwards.

Wales’ own golden boy Louis Rees-Zammit, meanwhile, has been reduced to a replacement role after a quiet showing against Fiji.

Tandy insisted he is rotating, but former Wales centre Jonathan Davies told Scrum V that Rees-Zammit needed more hunger to get involved.

Then you have the romanticism of a player winning his first cap, with Exeter back-rower Kane James having the honour on this occasion.

James is set to make his debut from the bench, following in the footsteps of Welsh luminaries such as Alun Wyn Jones, James Hook and Wainwright by playing their first international in Argentina.

James’ father Chris jumped on a plane and travelled 24 hours in a mad dash to be present as his son prepares to become the 1,224th player to represent Wales at Test level.

Just in case you were wondering, the proud dad has arrived in time, no doubt hoping to see a Wales rugby victory.

Should that come alongside an Argentina football win, then the celebrations – granted in different measures – could really begin.

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