Argentina did not need Lionel Messi to put on another dominant display. La Albiceleste cruised to a 7-0 win over Burkina Faso at the Monumental Stadium in their final friendly before the captain's farewell, scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, against Benin. The result was also shaped by the huge gap in quality between the two squads.
ALL GOALS: Argentina vs Burkina Faso | International Friendly
ALL GOALS: Argentina vs Burkina Faso | International Friendly
A RECORD-BREAKING GOAL FEST
Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring in the 4th minute. Agustín Giay was brought down inside the box, and the striker stepped up to take the penalty. Razak Guira saved the initial effort, but Lautaro reacted quickly to the rebound and finished to give Argentina the lead.
Four minutes later, Moumouni Diallo scored an own goal after a move started by Gianluca Prestianni and continued by Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez.
The 3-0 came in the 12th minute. Lautaro Martínez provided the assist for Gianluca Prestianni, who unleashed a powerful finish from inside the penalty area to score his first senior international goal for Argentina.
Nicolás Paz made it 4-0 in the 34th minute after receiving a through ball from Alexis Mac Allister and finishing at the second attempt. Just two minutes later, Julián Álvarez capped another Argentina attack after winning the ball back. Prestianni delivered a cutback from the left, allowing "La Araña" to tap the ball home.
MASTANTUONO ADDS ANOTHER AS ARGENTINA FACE LITTLE PRESSURE AFTER THE BREAK
The lopsided scoreline came in unusual circumstances. Burkina Faso arrived in Buenos Aires facing logistical issues and only a few hours before kickoff. The African side fielded an alternative squad made up largely of U-23 players, with several regular starters unavailable.
Argentina continued to control the match after halftime. Franco Mastantuono scored the 6-0 in the 57th minute, netting his first goal for the Argentina national team after receiving the ball at the top of the penalty area and firing a composed finish across goal.
Giuliano Simeone completed the rout in the 90+3rd minute, putting the finishing touch on Argentina's emphatic victory.
Lionel Messi did not play, with his final appearance for Argentina being saved for Tuesday's match against Benin at the Monumental Stadium, a game prepared as the captain's farewell to the Argentina national team.
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FULL-TIME
Argentina cruised to a commanding victory over a depleted Burkina Faso side that fielded an alternative squad, with most of its players coming from the U-23 ranks.
The win gives La Albiceleste a strong final tune-up ahead of Lionel Messi's farewell match next Tuesday against Benin.
Final Score | 2nd Half: Argentina 7-0 Burkina Faso
90+3' — GOAL FOR ARGENTINA! GIULIANO SIMEONE!
Atlético Madrid forward Giuliano Simeone puts the finishing touch on a dominant performance, scoring Argentina's seventh and final goal of the night.
Final Score | 2nd Half: Argentina 7-0 Burkina Faso
78' — 'DIBU' MARTÍNEZ COMES OFF
Argentina's starting goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez, leaves the pitch to a round of applause from the crowd at the Monumental Stadium, making way for Gerónimo Rulli, the Manchester City goalkeeper.
Score | 2nd Half: Argentina 6-0 Burkina Faso
69' — MORE SUBSTITUTIONS
Valentín Barco, Santiago Castro and Exequiel Palacios come on for Alexis Mac Allister, Lautaro Martínez and Enzo Fernández, respectively, as Argentina continues to rotate its lineup.
Score | 2nd Half: Argentina 6-0 Burkina Faso
63' — MORE CHANGES FOR ARGENTINA
Giuliano Simeone and Nicolás González enter the game, replacing Agustín Giay and Facundo Medina, respectively.
Score | 2nd Half: Argentina 6-0 Burkina Faso
57' — GOAL FOR ARGENTINA! FRANCO MASTANTUONO!
Franco Mastantuono, formerly of Real Madrid and now playing for Fiorentina, scores his first goal for Argentina.
The midfielder receives an assist at the top of the box before making his way into the penalty area and beating the Burkina Faso defense with a clinical finish across goal.
Score | 2nd Half: Argentina 6-0 Burkina Faso
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY!
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni makes five substitutions at the break. Franco Mastantuono, Tomás Palacios, Leonel Flores, Leonardo Balerdi and Matías Soulé come on for Julián Álvarez, Lisandro Martínez, Gianluca Prestianni, Cristian Romero and Nico Paz, respectively.
Score | 2nd Half: Argentina 5-0 Burkina Faso
HALFTIME
With 17 attempts and 11 shots on target, the World Cup runners-up are running riot at the Monumental Stadium, taking a commanding 5-0 lead over a makeshift Burkina Faso side largely made up of U-23 players, following an 11-hour flight and just five hours between their arrival and kickoff.
Gianluca Prestianni and Lautaro Martínez have each scored and provided an assist, while Julián Álvarez and Nico Paz have also found the back of the net. The match marks Enzo Fernández's return to the national team, with Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez leading the attack, while Prestianni and Paz have impressed as two of the team's emerging faces.
Burkina Faso goalkeeper Guira Razak has made one save and is doing his best to keep his team in the game, but Argentina have been dominant from start to finish.
Score | 1st Half: Argentina 5-0 Burkina Faso
36' — GOAL FOR ARGENTINA! JULIÁN ÁLVAREZ!
After relentless pressure, Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez finally gets his name on the scoresheet.
Argentina win the ball back on the edge of the box, and it falls to Lucas Prestianni, who delivers a low cutback from the left flank. The ball finds "La Araña", who calmly taps it home to make it five goals for Argentina.
Score | 1st Half: Argentina 5-0 Burkina Faso
34' — GOAL FOR ARGENTINA, NICO PAZ!
Alexis Mac Allister plays a through ball from midfield to Como midfielder Nico Paz, who controls it on the right side of the box and gets a left-footed shot away.
The ball rebounds off the goalkeeper, allowing Paz to follow up with a right-footed volley that goes through the keeper’s legs for Argentina’s fourth.
The World Cup runners-up are completely overwhelming Burkina Faso’s U-23 side.
Score | 1H: Argentina 4-0 Burkina Faso
12' — GOAL FOR ARGENTINA, GIANLUCA PRESTIANNI!
The Benfica forward and rising star scores Argentina’s third after a brilliant combination down the left with Lautaro Martínez. The Inter Milan striker sets up the attacker, who fires a powerful shot from inside the box to extend the Albiceleste’s lead.
It is Prestianni’s first senior international goal for Argentina.
Score | 1H: Argentina 3-0 Burkina Faso
8' — GOAL FOR ARGENTINA, OWN GOAL!
Guira Razak, the African side’s goalkeeper, puts the ball into his own net after failing to control it following a deflection off his teammate, defender Diallo Moumouni, after Julián Álvarez’s shot.
The move began on the left with Gianluca Prestianni driving forward and getting a shot away, before Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez became involved after a series of deflections.
Score | 1H: Argentina 2-0 Burkina Faso
4' — GOAL FOR ARGENTINA, LAUTARO MARTÍNEZ!
The Inter Milan striker opens the scoring from the penalty spot after following up on the rebound from a controversial spot kick he initially missed. Guira Razak makes the save, but cannot keep out the rebound.
Burkina Faso defender Diallo Moumouni was judged to have committed the debatable foul that led to the penalty for the Albiceleste.
Score | 1H: Argentina 1-0 Burkina Faso
KICKOFF!
The international friendly between Argentina and Burkina Faso is underway during the first international break since the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Score | 1H: Argentina 0-0 Burkina Faso
ARGENTINA'S LINEUP ARE IN FOR THE MATCH!
BURKINA FASO'S LINEUP ARE IN FOR THE MATCH!
Welcome to the LIVE BLOG of the international friendly between Argentina and Burkina Faso, the Albiceleste’s final match before Lionel Messi’s farewell to the national team!
THE PREVIEW
The Argentina national team returns to the Estadio Monumental to face Burkina Faso in an international friendly that will serve as a prelude to the most anticipated match of the international break: Lionel Messi’s farewell with the Albiceleste.
ARGENTINA LOOKS FOR ANOTHER WIN BEFORE MESSI’S FAREWELL
Lionel Scaloni’s team heads into the match after a 4-0 thrashing of Bolivia in Córdoba, with goals from Lautaro Martínez, Nicolás Paz, Cristian Romero and José Manuel López.
The Albiceleste will now play their second match of the international window against Burkina Faso this Saturday, October 3, at 8:00 PM ET at the Monumental.
Lionel Messi will not play in this match, as his final appearance for Argentina is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, against Benin, also at the Monumental. The Argentine superstar will feature only in that game, which has been prepared as his farewell in front of the home fans.
BURKINA FASO FACES DELAYS AHEAD OF THE MATCH
Burkina Faso will arrive in Buenos Aires with limited preparation time due to logistical issues. The delegation had its original flight canceled and remained in Casablanca, Morocco, with plans to reach the Argentine capital around midday on Saturday.
The African side recently played in the opening rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and will use this friendly as part of its international preparations.
Everything is set for a match featuring one notable absentee: Messi. His moment will come three days later, when Argentina faces Benin at the Monumental to officially bring his international career with the national team to a close.
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