November 14, 2026
The Argentine national team lost to its Uruguayan guest with a score of (1-2) in the friendly match that was held at the “La Bombonera” stadium in the capital, Buenos Aires, in the first appearance of the “world champion” since the international retirement of its star Lionel Messi early last October.
On the field, Uruguay opened the scoring in the 48th minute following an own goal scored by Argentine defender Leonardo Balerdi against his team, before Maximiliano Araujo added the second goal for the visitors in the 53rd minute. In the 73rd minute, Julian Alvarez succeeded in reducing the deficit for the hosts, but attempts to adjust the score failed, so the match ended with Uruguay’s victory under the leadership of its new coach, Diego Forlan.
On the tactical and public levels, the No. 10 shirt was absent from the “Tango” squad, following coach Lionel Scaloni’s decision not to give it to any player temporarily in light of the undecided identity of Messi’s successor. The stands also witnessed a smaller audience attendance than usual, and the team seemed affected by the emptiness of its former captain, despite his control of possession.
The Argentine national team is preparing to face its Costa Rican counterpart in a friendly match next Tuesday, in an effort to regain its balance and recover quickly from the effects of the first official test in the post-Messi era.
