BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Ahead of the 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Lionel Messi delivered a performance for the history books on Tuesday night, turning what is widely expected to be his final home appearance for Argentina’s national side into a masterclass in a lopsided 5-0 friendly win over Zambia.
The 38-year-old Argentine icon, who led his nation to a third World Cup title in Qatar 2022, got the match off to a blistering start, setting up Manchester City striker Julián Álvarez for an early opener in just the fourth minute at Buenos Aires’ iconic La Bombonera stadium. Before halftime, Messi added a goal of his own in the 43rd minute, capping a first-half dominant display that sent the sold-out crowd into a frenzy. The entire stadium rose to its feet in a prolonged standing ovation for Messi, with fans chanting and cheering to urge their star to lead Argentina to another world title this summer.
Two more goals from defenders Nicolás Otamendi and Valentín Barco rounded out the 5-0 scoreline for the defending champions. The commanding win comes as a much-needed confidence boost for Argentina, which left fans and analysts with lingering concerns after a flat, underwhelming 2-1 win over Mauritania last Friday. Ahead of the Zambia friendly, head coach Lionel Scaloni issued a clear warning: a repeat of lackluster performances would lead to major changes to his 26-man World Cup squad, which must be finalized and submitted by May 30.
For this critical pre-tournament home test, Scaloni opted to field a starting lineup largely mirroring the side that claimed the 2022 World Cup trophy with a dramatic final win over France. The most notable absence was midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who was sidelined as he continues to recover from a muscle injury, following a poor showing against Mauritania last week.
Argentina, a three-time World Cup winner with titles in 1978, 1986, and 2022, will kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign in Group J on June 16 against Algeria. They will then face off against Austria on June 22 before wrapping up group stage play against Jordan on June 27.