After a shaky start in their final international friendly before Copa America, Lionel Messi and Argentina can now shift their full focus to defending their title.
Argentina easily defeated Guatemala 4-1 after coming back from an own goal just four minutes into the game before a crowd of 51,713 at Commanders Field in Maryland. Messi netted two goals in a strong, 90-minute showing, climbing up the men’s international scoring chart in the process.
The team now shifts their focus to next Thursday, when they take on Canada in the opening round of Copa America at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The tournament is a symbolic one for the 2022 World Cup champions, because it was the first international title Messi ever won with the national team. If Friday night’s win was any indication, Lionel Scaloni’s squad has a promising shot at making it far in the tournament again.
How did Messi look?
Argentina’s captain was engaged from the start and sharp throughout the match. He scored his 107th and 108th international goals in a comfortable win for the world champions, putting him joint-second with Iran legend Ali Daei on the list of top men’s international scorers behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s 130. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni told reporters on Thursday night that he hoped Messi would play the full 90 minutes against the Central American side. Messi played the entire match and put on a show for the 50,000-plus fans who attended the friendly at Commanders Field, though Messi’s first goal may have been the easiest of his 108.
🎥 ¡Capitán, presente! 🫡pic.twitter.com/XFy71G2Got
— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) June 15, 2024
Notably, Messi relinquished penalty shot duty to Lautaro Martinez. Inter Milan’s No 9 scored Argentina’s 39th-minute penalty, the first he’s taken for his country, after 19-year-old Valentin Carboni was taken down in the Guatemala penalty area. Messi’s gesture was an obvious one. Martinez has struggled to replicate his form with the Serie A champions when he dons the Argentina shirt, dating back to the 2022 World Cup. Messi then assisted Martinez for Argentina’s third goal in the 66th minute.
Overall, it was a strong performance from Messi. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is ready for the Copa America.
Should Guatemala’s early goal worry Argentina?
Argentina’s early own goal, scored by Lisandro Martinez off a Guatemala free kick in the fourth minute, was certainly problematic. It’s an error Scaloni will need to address with his team before they face Canada next week. But Argentina’s shaky performance against a lowly-ranked Guatemalan side should not set off alarm bells for the defending Copa America champions. It only took eight minutes, after all, for Messi to equalize, capitalizing off Guatemala’s own defensive error right in front of the box. And, let’s not forget this Argentina side has come back from far worse blunders.
The team slowly found its rhythm and picked things up, with Lautaro Martinez netting Argentina’s second goal off a penalty in the 39th minute, and later nearly a third with a cheeky bicycle kick toward the end of the first half. The team was back to dominating the pitch with nearly 75% percent of possession, particularly in the second half once Scaloni subbed in some of the team’s stars, such as Angel Di Maria, Rodrigo De Paul and Julian Alvarez. It wasn’t long before Argentina was hammering its attack on Guatemala, and up 4-1, and the crowd was chanting, “Messi! Messi!”
What did Argentina’s lineup reveal?
Scaloni told reporters on Thursday that he didn’t know when he would determine his final 26-man squad for the Copa America. The match against Guatemala was viewed as a trial for several players to solidify either their place in the team or in Scaloni’s starting XI. Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, coming back from hernia surgery in April, made his first start after coming off the bench in the second half against Ecuador on Sunday. The 23-year-old, who became immovable in Scaloni’s starting XI, still looked at less than 100 percent on Friday night.
Scaloni also tried a different center back pairing than what we’ll see at the tournament. Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero was rested in favor of Nicolas Otamedi, who lined up alongside Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez. Romero is an obvious starter. Scaloni will decide between Martinez and Otamendi in the Copa America opener next Friday versus Canada.
The right-wing position was another area for experimentation against Guatemala. Carboni was given the start in place of Di Maria and looked dangerous and capable. The teenager is an interesting alternative if Scaloni decides to keep him on the Copa America squad.
A pitch invader reaches Messi at Commanders Field. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
What did the players say?
“I looked at him (Messi), and he gave it to me. We took advantage of the opportunity. I thanked him, and I’ll thank him again, publicly. It’s the gesture of a great (player). He’s a gentleman on the pitch, off the pitch. He helps us out a lot, and for me, that’s really important,” said Lautaro Martinez on Messi letting him take the penalty
“He has a great future, present and future. We have to take advantage of it, as well as many other strong players who are coming up. Since we arrived here in the United States, since he’s been training with us. I had seen him in the under-20s, but he grew a lot. He is a different player, much more developed, much more trained and with really great quality,” said Messi on 19-year-old Carboni
What next for Argentina?
Thursday, June 20: Canada, Copa America Group A (Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA), 8pm ET
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(Top photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)