Argentina vs Bolivia 4-0: Lautaro Martínez and Nico Paz set the tone on Argentina’s first night without Messi

Argentina vs Bolivia finished 4-0 at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba on Wednesday night, and for once the result was not the main talking point. This was Argentina’s first match since Lionel Messi announced his international retirement on August 31, and their first game of any kind since losing the World Cup final to Spain in extra time on July 19. Lautaro Martínez, Nico Paz, Cristian Romero and José Manuel López scored the goals in a friendly that Bolivia barely got a foothold in.

Lionel Scaloni picked a side that mixed World Cup final regulars with younger names. According to VAVEL’s lineup, Agustín Giay started at right back and Gianluca Prestianni on the wing, with Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez paired up front. ESPN reported that Romero wore the captain’s armband in Messi’s absence.

How the goals went in

Lautaro opened the scoring on 19 minutes after a pass from Alexis Mac Allister. Ten minutes later Nico Paz added the second, finishing a move set up by Exequiel Palacios. Argentina went in 2-0 up and had already spent most of the half camped in Bolivia’s end.

Paz then turned provider. His corner on 54 minutes was headed in by Romero for 3-0, and López finished from close range on 86 minutes to complete the scoring. Fox Sports’ box score credits Paz with a goal and an assist, the only Argentina player to be directly involved in two of the four goals.

Key numbers: Argentina 4 Bolivia 0

• Venue: Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba. Kick off 9pm local time, per the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
• Messi’s Argentina record: 125 goals in 207 appearances, the most caps and goals in the country’s history, according to ESPN.
• Trophies in the Messi era under Scaloni: Copa América 2021, World Cup 2022, Copa América 2024.
• Last game before this one: a 1-0 extra time defeat to Spain in the World Cup final on July 19.

Why this one mattered: life after Messi starts here

Messi announced his decision on Instagram with a handwritten note, telling fans that “it was a decision that hurt”, as ESPN reported. He will keep playing for Inter Miami. For Argentina, the question is no longer whether they can win without him, it is what the team looks like when nobody is built around one player.

Scaloni gave a clear answer after the game. “I believe the identity of the national team is to string passes together, to collectively create scoring opportunities,” he said, as quoted by Goal. He also asked for patience with the youngest players in the group, naming Leonel Flores and Franco Mastantuono as talents who need protecting rather than pressure.

The famous number 10 shirt stays in the drawer for now. Speaking before the game, Scaloni told reporters that Argentina “won’t give it to anyone until Leo’s farewell game”, according to the Associated Press. For a squad that just lost a World Cup final, a comfortable home win with goals spread across four different scorers is about as calm a start as this new chapter could have had. It was still only a friendly, and Bolivia rarely threatened Emiliano Martínez in the Argentina goal, so the sterner tests are still to come.

Spain, the side that beat Argentina in the final, are flying too. They stretched their unbeaten run to 40 games this week, as we covered in our Spain vs Croatia report.

What’s next for Argentina

This was the first of three home friendlies in this window. The AFA has confirmed the remaining dates and kick off times:

• Argentina vs Burkina Faso: Saturday, October 3, 9pm Argentina time (8pm ET), Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires.
• Argentina vs Benin: Tuesday, October 6, 8pm Argentina time (7pm ET), Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires. This is the night set aside for Messi’s farewell, as reported by ESPN and the Associated Press.

Whatever happens against Burkina Faso, the Benin game will be about one man far more than the scoreline.

Sources

• ESPN match report: Argentina 4-0 Bolivia
• Fox Sports box score
• VAVEL live report and lineups
• AFA: confirmed kick off times for the friendlies
• Goal: Scaloni after the Bolivia win
• ESPN: Messi retires from the Argentina national team
• AP via Yahoo Sports: Scaloni on the number 10 shirt