Buenos Aires, Jan 12 (IANS): Argentina's national team will play a friendly against the Czech Republic in Dresden on March 26, Argentina's football federation (AFA) has announced.

Four days earlier, on March 22, Argentina will face Venezuela at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.

The match against the Czech Republic will be played at Stadion Dresden, which seats up to 32,000 people, reports Efe news.

These will be Argentina's first two friendlies of 2019.

FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, who has not played for his national side since the 2018 World Cup in Russia, could return to the Albiceleste for the March friendlies.

The matches will help the team prepare for the Copa America, a quadrennial international tournament involving teams from South America (as well as Japan and Qatar) that will be held in Brazil from June 14 to July 7.

On Thursday, the AFA had announced that Roberto Ayala has been named as one of head coach Lionel Scaloni's assistants.