Argentina vs Mauritania, 2026 International Friendly
· International FriendlyEnzo, Paz secure Argentina win as La Bombonera cheers for Messi
Lionel Messi came off the bench in the second half as Argentina beat Mauritania 2-1 in a World Cup warm-up friendly in Buenos Aires on Friday night.
Match Timeline
- 0': Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
- 0': First Half begins.
- 4': Handball by Djeidi Gassama (Mauritania).
- 12': Attempt blocked. Nico Paz (Argentina) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Nahuel Molina.
- 12': Djeidi Gassama (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 12': Foul by Enzo Fernández (Argentina).
- 14': Foul by Nico Paz (Argentina).
- 14': Maata Magassa (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 15': Attempt blocked. Julián Alvarez (Argentina) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Thiago Almada.
- 16': Foul by Nahuel Molina (Argentina).
- 16': Maata Magassa (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 16': Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 16': Foul by Oumar Ngom (Mauritania).
- 17': Goal! Argentina 1, Mauritania 0. Enzo Fernández (Argentina) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Nahuel Molina with a cross.
- 21': Aboubakary Koïta (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 21': Foul by Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina).
- 21': Attempt missed. Ibrahima Keita (Mauritania) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left following a set piece situation.
- 22': Djeidi Gassama (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 22': Foul by Cristian Romero (Argentina).
- 25': Foul by Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina).
- 25': Maata Magassa (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 26': Attempt missed. Aboubakary Koïta (Mauritania) right footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the left.
- 27': Attempt saved. Enzo Fernández (Argentina) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner by Mamadou Diop (Mauritania). Assisted by Julián Alvarez.
- 29': Delay in match because of an injury Maata Magassa (Mauritania).
- 30': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 30': Foul by Aboubakary Koïta (Mauritania).
- 30': Nico Paz (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 32': Goal! Argentina 2, Mauritania 0. Nico Paz (Argentina) from a free kick with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
- 36': Attempt saved. Nico Paz (Argentina) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Mamadou Diop (Mauritania). Assisted by Nico González with a cross.
- 37': Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Ibrahima Keita.
- 38': Foul by Lamine Ba (Mauritania).
- 38': Nico González (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 38': Lamine Ba (Mauritania) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
- 39': Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Ibrahima Keita.
- 40': Handball by Enzo Fernández (Argentina).
- 45': Beyatt Lekoueiry (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 45': Foul by Marcos Acuña (Argentina).
- 45': Attempt saved. Oumar Ngom (Mauritania) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner by Emiliano Martínez (Argentina). Assisted by Ibrahima Keita with a headed pass.
- 45'+1': Fourth official has announced 1 minutes of added time.
- 45'+2': First Half ends, Argentina 2, Mauritania 0.
- 45': Second Half begins Argentina 2, Mauritania 0.
- 45': Substitution, Argentina. Franco Mastantuono replaces Julián Alvarez.
- 45': Substitution, Argentina. Lionel Messi replaces Nico Paz.
- 45': Substitution, Argentina. Rodrigo De Paul replaces Nico González.
- 45': Substitution, Mauritania. Papa Yade replaces Mamadou Diallo.
- 50': Aly Abeid (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 50': Foul by Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina).
- 52': Foul by Oumar Ngom (Mauritania).
- 52': Lionel Messi (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 53': Attempt missed. Djeidi Gassama (Mauritania) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Aboubakary Koïta following a fast break.
- 53': Foul by Beyatt Lekoueiry (Mauritania).
- 53': Thiago Almada (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 55': Attempt blocked. Lionel Messi (Argentina) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Rodrigo De Paul.
- 55': Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Maata Magassa.
- 56': Substitution, Argentina. Giuliano Simeone replaces Enzo Fernández.
- 57': Offside, Argentina. Lionel Messi is caught offside.
- 57': Foul by Papa Yade (Mauritania).
- 57': Marcos Senesi (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 58': Delay in match because of an injury Mamadou Diop (Mauritania).
- 58': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 60': Foul by Franco Mastantuono (Argentina).
- 60': Maata Magassa (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 61': Aboubakary Koïta (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 61': Foul by Marcos Senesi (Argentina).
- 61': Marcos Senesi (Argentina) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
- 63': Substitution, Mauritania. Sidi Amar replaces Djeidi Gassama.
- 63': Offside, Mauritania. Maata Magassa is caught offside.
- 64': Foul by Giuliano Simeone (Argentina).
- 64': Ibrahima Keita (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 65': Attempt saved. Aboubakary Koïta (Mauritania) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal by Emiliano Martínez (Argentina). Assisted by Aly Abeid.
- 65': Corner, Mauritania. Conceded by Emiliano Martínez.
- 65': Attempt blocked. Oumar Ngom (Mauritania) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Aboubakary Koïta with a cross.
- 66': Offside, Argentina. Giuliano Simeone is caught offside.
- 68': Corner, Mauritania. Conceded by Cristian Romero.
- 68': Attempt missed. Aboubakary Koïta (Mauritania) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Sidi Amar following a corner.
- 69': Substitution, Argentina. Gabriel Rojas replaces Marcos Acuña.
- 69': Substitution, Argentina. Agustín Giay replaces Nahuel Molina.
- 70': Foul by Cristian Romero (Argentina).
- 70': Papa Yade (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 72': Foul by Thiago Almada (Argentina).
- 72': Oumar Ngom (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 74': Attempt missed. Maata Magassa (Mauritania) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right.
- 75': Foul by Cristian Romero (Argentina).
- 75': Sidi Amar (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 75': Substitution, Argentina. José López replaces Thiago Almada.
- 76': Substitution, Argentina. Exequiel Palacios replaces Alexis Mac Allister.
- 78': Substitution, Mauritania. Khadim Diaw replaces Aly Abeid.
- 78': Substitution, Mauritania. Moctar El Hacen replaces Oumar Ngom.
- 78': Substitution, Mauritania. Yacoub Ethmane replaces Maata Magassa.
- 79': José López (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 79': Foul by Sidi Amar (Mauritania).
- 83': Foul by Sidi Amar (Mauritania).
- 83': Gabriel Rojas (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 85': Substitution, Mauritania. Abdallahi Mahmoud replaces Lamine Ba.
- 85': Substitution, Mauritania. Nouh El Abd replaces Aboubakary Koïta.
- 85': Substitution, Mauritania. Souleymane Anne replaces Beyatt Lekoueiry.
- 87': Foul by Gabriel Rojas (Argentina).
- 87': Ibrahima Keita (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 88': Exequiel Palacios (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 88': Foul by Abdallahi Mahmoud (Mauritania).
- 89': Attempt saved. Souleymane Anne (Mauritania) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal by Emiliano Martínez (Argentina).
- 89': Foul by Moctar El Hacen (Mauritania).
- 89': Lionel Messi (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 90': Foul by Papa Yade (Mauritania).
- 90': Marcos Senesi (Argentina) wins a free kick on the left wing.
- 90'+1': Fourth official has announced 4 minutes of added time.
- 90'+1': Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Khadim Diaw.
- 90'+2': Foul by Marcos Senesi (Argentina).
- 90'+2': Nouh El Abd (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
- 90'+2': Delay in match because of an injury Marcos Senesi (Argentina).
- 90'+2': Delay in match because of an injury Nouh El Abd (Mauritania).
- 90'+3': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
- 90'+4': Foul by José López (Argentina).
- 90'+4': Yacoub Ethmane (Mauritania) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
- 90'+4': Attempt missed. Yacoub Ethmane (Mauritania) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right following a set piece situation.
- 90'+4': Goal! Argentina 2, Mauritania 1. Jordan Lefort (Mauritania) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Yacoub Ethmane following a set piece situation.
- 90'+5': Second Half ends, Argentina 2, Mauritania 1.
- 0': Match ends, Argentina 2, Mauritania 1.
Statistics
 MTN |
ARG |
|
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Fouls | 18 |
| 1 | Yellow Cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 1 | Offsides | 2 |
| 2 | Corner Kicks | 4 |
| 2 | Saves | 3 |
| 35.7 | Possession | 64.3 |
| 11 | SHOTS | 7 |
| 4 | ON GOAL | 4 |
| 0.4 | On Target % | 0.6 |
| 0 | Penalty Goals | 0 |
| 0 | Penalty Kicks Taken | 0 |
| 338 | Accurate Passes | 650 |
| 386 | Passes | 705 |
| 0.9 | Pass Completion % | 0.9 |
| 1 | Accurate Crosses | 3 |
| 5 | Crosses | 13 |
| 0.2 | Cross % | 0.2 |
| 33 | Long Balls | 27 |
| 11 | Accurate Long Balls | 20 |
| 0.3 | Long Balls % | 0.7 |
| 1 | Blocked Shots | 3 |
| 10 | Effective Tackles | 13 |
| 15 | Tackles | 19 |
| 0.7 | Tackle % | 0.7 |
| 13 | Interceptions | 7 |
| 16 | Effective Clearances | 6 |
| 16 | Clearances | 6 |
Game Information
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: Alberto José Armando (La Bombonera)
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Attendance: 45,760
Venue: Alberto José Armando (La Bombonera)
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Attendance: 45,760
Line-Ups
Argentina (4-3-3)
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 23 | Emiliano Martínez (GK) |
| 6 | Marcos Senesi  |
| 13 | Cristian Romero |
| 8 | Marcos Acuña |
| 26 | Nahuel Molina |
| 20 | Alexis Mac Allister |
| 11 | Thiago Almada |
| 24 | Enzo Fernández |
| 9 | Julián Álvarez |
| 15 | Nicolás González |
| 18 | Nico Paz |
Mauritania (4-4-2)
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 30 | Mamadou Diop (GK) |
| 21 | Jordan Lefort |
| 5 | Lamine Ba |
| 3 | Aly Abeid |
| 20 | Ibrahima Keita |
| 11 | Maata Magassa |
| 29 | Oumar Ngom |
| 78 | Djeidi Gassama |
| 23 | Beyatt Lekweiry |
| 27 | Mamadou Diallo |
| 7 | Aboubakary Koita |
Men's International Friendly News
Who was the surprise selection in France's 2026 World Cup squad?
Julien Laurens takes a look at Didier Deschamps' France squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Infantino confirms Iran will play at the World Cup
FIFA president Gianni Infantino opens his address at the FIFA Congress by confirming that Iran will play at the 2026 World Cup.
Is Weston McKennie USMNT's most important player?
The 'Futbol Americas' crew debate who is USMNT's most important player going into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Does Christian Pulisic need to improve his form before the World Cup?
The 'Futbol Americas' crew discuss Christian Pulisic's form leading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Do USMNT have a problem vs. European teams?
The 'Futbol Americas' crew discuss the USMNT's form going into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.