Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister has had to go through a curious pre-match regime for Argentina over the break. It could be a complication for Jürgen Klopp.
South American countries undoubtedly draw the short straw when it comes to World Cup qualifying. Every time, strong footballing nations are guaranteed to miss out, with a wealth of talent on the continent and only a limited number of spots.
The 2026 edition of the World Cup has expanded, and South America now has six direct qualification places. But even that does not leave the process as a formality — having joined Liverpool in the summer, Alexis Mac Allister is now away with the world champions, hoping to ensure they get the chance to defend their title.
Things started in acceptable fashion, with Lionel Messi delivering a 1-0 home victory over Ecuador. Argentina has now travelled to Bolivia, where it will look to make it two wins from two.
Except there’s something unique about Bolivia. Not one of the most renowned teams in South America, it nonetheless routinely trips up some of the big guns in World Cup qualifying, thanks to the extraordinary altitude of its stadia.
Back in 2007, a FIFA ruling targeted high-altitude grounds, initially imposing a limit of 2,500 meters due to the increased strain on players operating in lower-oxygen conditions. That was later raised to 3,000 meters, leaving just one capital city affected: La Paz, Bolivia.
The ruling would ultimately be suspended, and so Bolivia continues to boast an almost unparalleled home advantage. As a result, Mac Allister will take to the field at the Estadio Hernando Siles, which sits 3,637 meters above sea level — less than four days before Jürgen Klopp takes his Liverpool side to the rather more mundane surroundings of Wolverhampton.
Klopp has already had a more general complaint about his South American players on international duty. Speaking to LFCTV, he said:
“Now, international break and pretty much 48 hours after our South Americans play somewhere on the other end of the world we will play against Wolverhampton Wanderers.”
But with Mac Allister, playing in such testing circumstances, the strain will be even worse. Remarkably, the Liverpool midfielder has been pictured with an oxygen tube ahead of the fixture, as Argentina looks to acclimatize its players to the testing conditions.
