The Argentine national team secured a big 4-0 victory over Bolivia early Thursday morning in a friendly match that Lionel Messi missed.
Argentina, the runner-up of the 2026 World Cup, scored two goals in each half through Lautaro Martínez (19'), Nicolás Paz (29'), Cristian Romero (53'), and José Manuel López (86').
This was Argentina's first match since losing the 2026 World Cup final to Spain last July.
Argentina will continue its preparations with two additional friendly matches, facing Burkina Faso on October 3rd, followed by Benin next Tuesday.
Messi, aged 39, announced his retirement from international football last month, but he will wear the Argentina jersey for the last time in a farewell match against Benin.
It is worth noting that Messi played 207 matches for Argentina and is the team's all-time top scorer with 125 goals, including 21 in World Cup tournaments.
The former Barcelona star and current Inter Miami player also tops the list of best assist providers for "La Albiceleste" with 68 assists.
Today's match schedule
