Otamendi's swansong: Benfica captain awaits special moment in Argentina | OneFootball

Nicolás Otamendi is preparing to say 'goodbye' to Argentine pitches. As things stand, the match against Zambia, in the early hours of this Wednesday, 1 April, will be the Benfica captain’s final game for the national team in his home country, just like Lionel Messi.

It will mark the end of a long bond between the Eagles’ number 30 and the Albiceleste people and, by all indications, Otamendi is expected to play, as Lionel Scaloni revealed.

So, much like Lionel Messi, the Argentine crowd is preparing to pay a final tribute to Otamendi, in what will be his last home match. The 28-year-old defender will continue to represent the national team in the final stage of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

It is worth remembering that Otamendi has not played since the Clássico against Porto on 8 March and, according to the national team coach, the Benfica captain will get minutes against Zambia after remaining on the bench in the home match against Mauritania, where the reigning world champions won 2-1.

This season for Benfica, Nicolás Otamendi — valued at 1 million euros — has already made a total of 43 official appearances: 24 in Liga Portugal Betclic, 14 in the Champions League, two in the Portuguese Cup, two in the League Cup and one in the Super Cup. In the 3,809 minutes he has been on the pitch, the Argentine has scored three goals.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.