Argentina was expected to claim a dominant victory in Angola, especially with Lionel Scaloni starting a strong lineup featuring Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, and Rodrigo De Paul. But despite their star-studded squad, the world champions struggled to penetrate Angola’s organized and resilient defense. In the end, Argentina closed the year with a modest yet important 2-0 win.
Argentina Struggles to Break Through Angola’s Defense
The South American World Cup qualifiers wrapped up a few days ago, and teams are now using international friendlies to gear up for the 2026 World Cup. Argentina, the reigning world champions, played two friendlies last October and had just one fixture scheduled in the November window — a matchup against Angola at the Estadio 11 de Novembro in Luanda.
This friendly was arranged in honor of Angola’s 50th anniversary of independence, giving Messi’s team their final international test of the year.
As Lionel Scaloni said earlier, “Every match before the World Cup helps us sharpen our identity.”
Argentina nearly went behind in the 12th minute when their defense failed to clear a corner. A shot bounced dangerously toward the back post, but goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli kept his team safe with a sharp save.
Messi had multiple chances to put Argentina ahead — first in the 21st minute from a smart through-ball by Lautaro, but goalkeeper Marquez denied him. Later, in the 39th minute, Messi received a pass from Nicolás González inside the box, but his right-footed attempt flew over the bar.
Lautaro and Messi Seal the Victory
Argentina finally broke through in the 43rd minute when Lautaro Martínez finished calmly from a perfectly weighted Messi pass. After halftime, Angola stayed compact, allowing very few openings.
Argentina doubled its lead in the 82nd minute in an unexpected sequence. Messi lost the ball inside the box, and while the hosts attempted to clear it, Lautaro intercepted. Seeing Messi unmarked, he squared the ball, and the captain tapped in with ease.
An Argentine staff member later commented, “Even when Messi loses the ball, he finds a way to create magic.”
Argentina came into this match in strong form after beating Venezuela 1-0 and Puerto Rico 6-0 during the October FIFA window. The November squad, however, missed several regulars, including first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.
The world champions trained for a week in Spain ahead of their final game of the year, drawing more than 20,000 fans to their open practice in Elche. Angola, meanwhile, had already been knocked out of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, finishing fourth in AFC Group D with 12 points. Cape Verde topped the group with 23, while Cameroon followed with 19.
Also Read: Modric Magic Sends Croatia to World Cup; 13 Teams Still in Race