Uruguay defeated Argentina 2-1 in an international friendly at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires on Friday, Nov. 13, handing the hosts a loss in their first match since Lionel Messi retired from international football. In the post-match Argentina vs Uruguay player ratings published by Sportstar and reviewer Mohit Tomar at SportsDunia, Uruguay midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta earned a match-high 8.4 out of 10 after delivering the two second-half set pieces that decided the game.
After a scoreless first half in front of a crowd that fell short of a sellout, Uruguay broke through in the 48th minute when De Arrascaeta whipped a free kick in from the left. Argentina defender Lisandro MartÃnez tried to clear the delivery with a header, but his effort ricocheted off center-back partner Leonardo Balerdi and into his own net. De Arrascaeta doubled the lead in the 53rd minute with a corner kick that Maximiliano Araújo turned past goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli at the near post, a finish Sportstar, Gulf News, and Goal.com reported came off Araújo’s shoulder while SportsDunia described it as a glancing header.
Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez pulled a goal back for Argentina in the 73rd minute off an assist from 60th-minute substitute Gianluca Prestianni, and Alvarez had another chance in stoppage time before Uruguay closed out the result. Official match data showed Argentina controlled 72% of possession to Uruguay’s 28%, outshooting the visitors 18 to 4 overall and 6 to 3 in shots on target while leading 6 to 3 in corner kicks. Uruguay goalkeeper Cristopher FiermarÃn made five saves to Rulli’s two, and each team picked up three yellow cards, with Balerdi (47th minute), Enzo Fernández (75th minute), and AgustÃn Giay (91st minute) booked for Argentina and Federico Valverde (60th minute), Guillermo Varela (65th minute), and Rodrigo Bentancur (78th minute) cautioned for Uruguay.
How Uruguay blunted Argentina at La Bombonera
The defeat snapped a five-match winning streak for Argentina and exposed their lack of creativity in the final third without Messi, as the hosts generated 18 shots from 72% possession but scored once. Ahead of kickoff, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni said he had not yet chosen who would inherit the No. 10 jersey and preferred to leave the shirt unassigned because there was no obligation to hand it out right away.
Messi retired from international duty at age 39 in October 2026 after an emotional farewell friendly victory over Benin, finishing his Argentina career with 207 caps and 125 goals. His departure followed the 2026 World Cup final in July, where Argentina finished as runners-up to Spain despite Messi recording eight goals and four assists across eight tournament appearances, before he continued his 2026 Major League Soccer campaign with Inter Miami CF, posting 26 goals and 13 assists in 31 games. Defender Nicolás Otamendi also retired from international play prior to the November window.
On Thursday, Nov. 12, one day before the match, the Argentine Football Association announced that Scaloni had signed a contract extension through July 2030. According to a Reuters report, AFA president Claudio Tapia told reporters that renewing Scaloni’s coaching staff for the 2027 to 2030 period brought joy to the executive committee and all Argentinians, while Scaloni said he remained as excited as he was on his first day and was grateful to start a new process. For Uruguay, the win in Buenos Aires was the third victory under interim manager Diego Forlán, who is leading the squad through March 2027 in the same city where he won the 2011 Copa América as a player. Argentina next face Costa Rica in a friendly in Córdoba on Tuesday, Nov. 17, while Uruguay host the Dominican Republic the same day.
Argentina player ratings in the Argentina vs Uruguay friendly
Below are the complete player ratings and assessments for Argentina’s 4-3-3 lineup in source order from Mohit Tomar at SportsDunia, along with statistical marks from FotMob where noted.
Gerónimo Rulli (6.6/10)
Argentina’s starting goalkeeper played all 90 minutes and recorded two saves from the three shots on target he faced, beaten by Balerdi’s close-range own goal and Araújo’s looping 53rd-minute effort.
Gonzalo Montiel (6.5/10)
Montiel started on the right side of Argentina’s four-man defense and logged 83 minutes before leaving in a late double substitution as the hosts chased an equalizer.
Leonardo Balerdi (5.5/10)
SportsDunia gave Balerdi the lowest rating of any player on the pitch across his 90-minute outing. He drew a yellow card 96 seconds into the second half for the foul that set up his 48th-minute own goal, and he nearly gifted Uruguay a third goal with an underhit back pass in the 67th minute.
Lisandro MartÃnez (6.3/10)
MartÃnez played the full 90 minutes in central defense alongside Balerdi. His attempted headed clearance on De Arrascaeta’s 48th-minute free kick struck Balerdi and went into the net for Uruguay’s opener.
Facundo Medina (6.8/10)
Medina earned the highest mark among Argentina’s defenders from SportsDunia across 83 minutes of action and forced a save from FiermarÃn in the 20th minute.
Enzo Fernández (7.0/10)
Playing all 90 minutes in central midfield, Fernández tested FiermarÃn with a 17th-minute shot and picked up a yellow card in the 75th minute.
Exequiel Palacios (6.5/10)
Palacios started in Argentina’s midfield trio and played the opening 45 minutes of the scoreless first half before coming off at the break.
Alexis Mac Allister (6.1/10)
Mac Allister stayed on for the full 90 minutes in midfield and received a 6.1 from SportsDunia, the lowest mark among Argentina’s midfielders and forwards.
Nico Paz (6.4/10)
Starting in Argentina’s front three, Paz played all 90 minutes and forced a second-half save from FiermarÃn in the 68th minute.
Julián Alvarez (7.7/10)
Alvarez earned Argentina’s top rating from both SportsDunia (7.7) and FotMob (7.8) over 90 minutes. After forcing an eighth-minute save from FiermarÃn, he scored Argentina’s lone goal in the 73rd minute and had another chance to level the score in stoppage time.
Thiago Almada (6.4/10)
Almada started in the forward line and played 61 minutes before making way for fresh legs on the hour mark.
MatÃas Soulé (7.0/10)
Introduced at halftime for Palacios, Soulé played the entire second half and earned a 7.0 rating from SportsDunia for his 45-minute cameo.
Gianluca Prestianni (7.0/10)
Prestianni came off the bench in the 60th minute for a 29-minute spell and supplied the assist on Alvarez’s 73rd-minute goal. Late 83rd-minute substitutes AgustÃn Giay and Román Vega played seven minutes each and were not assigned ratings by SportsDunia.
Uruguay player ratings in the Uruguay vs Argentina friendly
Below are the full player ratings in source order from SportsDunia for Uruguay’s 4-4-1-1 lineup, along with top marks from Sportstar and FotMob.
Cristopher FiermarÃn (7.0/10)
Uruguay’s goalkeeper played all 90 minutes and made five saves, turning away efforts from Alvarez in the eighth minute, Fernández in the 17th, Medina in the 20th, and Paz in the 68th. SportsDunia gave him a 7.0 in its main player table and a 7.6 in its summary table as the match’s unsung standout.
Guillermo Varela (6.9/10)
Varela played the full 90 minutes on the right side of Uruguay’s back four and was shown a yellow card in the 65th minute.
Ronald Araújo (7.1/10)
Araújo anchored the center of Uruguay’s defense for all 90 minutes, helping Forlán’s low block withstand 18 Argentina shots.
MathÃas Olivera (6.5/10)
Olivera completed all 90 minutes in the Uruguay defense as the visitors held onto their one-goal lead through stoppage time.
JoaquÃn Piquerez (7.2/10)
Piquerez logged 58 minutes on the left side for Uruguay before coming off in a double change, earning a 7.2 from SportsDunia.
AgustÃn Canobbio (6.9/10)
Canobbio worked the flank for 58 minutes in Uruguay’s compact midfield unit and received a 6.9 rating from SportsDunia.
Lucas Torreira (6.4/10)
Torreira patrolled central midfield for 76 minutes before being substituted late in the second half.
Rodrigo Bentancur (7.4/10)
Bentancur played the entire 90 minutes in the engine room, drew a yellow card in the 78th minute, and tied for the second-highest mark in SportsDunia’s Uruguay player table at 7.4.
Maximiliano Araújo (7.4/10)
Playing 85 minutes, Maximiliano Araújo scored the match-winning goal in the 53rd minute off De Arrascaeta’s corner kick, earning a 7.4 from SportsDunia and a 7.3 from FotMob.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta (8.4/10)
De Arrascaeta was named Man of the Match with an 8.4 rating from both Sportstar and SportsDunia and an 8.0 from FotMob across 76 minutes. His 48th-minute free kick forced Balerdi’s own goal, and his 53rd-minute corner set up Maximiliano Araújo’s winner.
Darwin Núñez (6.7/10)
Núñez led the Uruguay attack as the lone striker for 85 minutes before giving way late in the match.
Sebastián Cáceres (6.4/10)
Cáceres entered off the bench to play the final 32 minutes in defense as Uruguay protected their lead.
Federico Valverde (6.4/10)
Valverde came on as a substitute for a 32-minute appearance and received a yellow card in the 60th minute.
Facundo Bernal (6.5/10)
Bernal played the final 14 minutes off the bench for Torreira and earned a 6.5 from SportsDunia, while late substitutes Federico Viñas, Facundo Pellistri, and Rodrigo Aguirre were unrated.