Argentina concluded their preparations for Lionel Messi's farewell match with a 7-0 demolition of Burkina Faso in an international friendly at the Estadio Monumental. Lionel Scaloni's side produced an overwhelming attacking display, with six different players getting on the scoresheet alongside an own goal.
The Albiceleste struck early. Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring in the fourth minute, capitalising on a chance shortly after missing a penalty. The lead was swiftly extended: Moumuni Diallo turned the ball into his own net after eight minutes, and Gianluca Prestianni finished a team move assisted by Martínez in the 12th. Argentina dominated with 77% possession and 25 shots, 14 on target.
The floodgates open
Nico Paz added a fourth in the 35th minute with a powerful strike from distance. Almost immediately, Julian Álvarez made it five following a pass from Prestianni. In the second half, substitute Facundo Mastantuono scored the sixth in the 57th minute. Another substitute, Giovanni Simeone, provided the final flourish with a header from Valentín Barco's cross in the 93rd minute.
Scaloni made ten changes throughout the match, testing options ahead of the upcoming fixture. The team maintains strong form, sitting top of their World Cup qualifying group with a perfect nine points from three games. This result follows a 4-0 win over Bolivia last Tuesday, building positive momentum. All focus now shifts to Sunday's match, when the national team hosts Benin in what will be Lionel Messi's final international appearance following his retirement announcement. Fans can check the full Albiceleste schedule on our fixtures page and review squad statistics on stats.
