Argentina begin new era with 4-0 victory over Bolivia
Argentina began a new era without Lionel Messi in impressive fashion, defeating Bolivia 4-0 in their first friendly match following the 2026 World Cup today.
Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring in the 19th minute, making the most of an excellent assist from Alexis Mac Allister. Martínez raced through one-on-one against Bolivia goalkeeper Vizcarra and calmly finished to give Argentina the lead.
The striker, who scored Argentina's final goal at the World Cup against England, continued his impressive scoring record for the national team. The goal further cemented his status as Argentina's second-highest scorer behind Messi.
Argentina maintained control of the match and continued to find the net. Nico Paz, Cristian Romero and José Manuel López also scored as the world champions completed a convincing 4-0 victory.
The result provided an encouraging start to Argentina's post-Messi cycle, with Martínez, Paz, Romero and López all contributing to an emphatic attacking display.
Messi's farewell match for the national team against Benin is scheduled for October 6, marking another significant moment as Argentina begins to move into a new chapter.
With Messi's international career coming to an end, Argentina's victory over Bolivia offered an early glimpse of the team's next generation and the players expected to take on greater responsibility in the years ahead.
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