Argentina, the reigning world champion and already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, displayed its considerable squad depth with a commanding 6-0 friendly victory over Puerto Rico in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday.
The dominant performance at Inter Miami’s home stadium, the club of captain Lionel Messi, saw six different players involved in goals, highlighting the team’s varied attacking threats. Substitute Lautaro MartÃnez netted two goals late in the match.
While Messi did not add to his 114 career goals, he was instrumental in the offensive effort. The veteran forward contributed two assists, bringing his total to 61 for the national team, and was involved in five of Argentina’s six scores.
The scoring began with Alexis Mac Allister, who found the net in the 14th and 36th minutes. Gonzalo Montiel added another in the 23rd minute. Steven Echevarria of Puerto Rico scored an own goal in the 64th minute, followed by MartÃnez’s strikes in the 79th and 84th minutes.
The match also served as an opportunity to integrate new talent, with four players making their senior national team debuts. José Manuel ‘Flaco’ Lopez, who started, and AnÃbal Moreno, both from Palmeiras, earned their first caps. Lautaro Rivero of River Plate and Racing Club goalkeeper Facundo Cambeses also debuted.
Nicolás Otamendi, the Benfica captain, started for Argentina but was substituted at halftime. Messi played his 195th game for the national team.
Argentina’s next potential fixture could be the FinalÃssima in March 2026, an unconfirmed clash against European champion Spain.