Watch: Argentina players travel to El Monumental with maximum security ahead of friendly against Panama

A video has emerged of the Argentina national team traveling to El Monumental with maximum security ahead of their friendly against Panama.

The two teams will square off on Friday (March 24) in Buenos Aires in what will be La Albiceleste's first game as world champions. Manager Lionel Scaloni's side won their third World Cup in Qatar last year.

They are the champions of the world and are being treated as such. The video, as posted on TyC Sports' Twitter account, shows a number of armoured vehicles and bikes moving alongside the team bus on the Riccheri Highway.

Here's the video:

Recently, a supermarket owned by Lionel Messi's in-laws was shot up in Rosario. The attackers, as per MARCA, left a note for the 35-year-old and threatened to harm him when he returned from Paris to Argentina.

Newell's Old Boys coach Gabriel Heinze said that such acts of violence could distance the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) playmaker from the national team. Messi has, nevertheless, travelled with his teammates for the clash against Panama.

After facing the 61st-ranked national team in the world, the three-time World Cup winners will face Curacao at the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades on March 28. Argentina have lost just once since August 2019, which came in their 2022 World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia.

---

Argentina star shares what Lionel Messi told him during 2022 World Cup

Argentina star Emiliano Martinez has shared what Lionel Messi told him during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Paris Saint-Germain playmaker said that the national team needed to win the showpiece event in Qatar to complete football. They won the Copa America in 2021 after a 28-year-long wait.

The team followed up their continental success by beating UEFA Euro 2020 champions Italy in the Finalissima in June 2022. In an interview with GOAL (h/t The Boot Room), the Aston Villa goalkeeper said:

"I remember speaking to Leo during the World Cup. I said ‘we won the Copa America in Brazil after 28 years, and we won the Finalissima at Wembley against the Champions of Europe'."

Martinez, who was awarded the Golden Glove in Qatar, added:

“And he said ‘to complete football, we have to win the World Cup against the World Champions! And guess what? We did it!"

Messi did indeed completed football after winning the World Cup, as he has now won every major trophy at club and international level.