Harsh criticism from France of Argentina over friendlies v lesser sides | OneFootball

The newspaper L’Equipe questioned the choice of Mauritania and Zambia and compared Argentina’s schedule with that of other national teams. It also suggested that the FIFA ranking and business interests play a role.

In the report, the French outlet stressed that Argentina has not faced any “Top 20” FIFA-ranked national teams in friendlies since the Qatar World Cup. According to its data, the average ranking of Lionel Scaloni’s team’s recent opponents is considerably lower than that of other powerhouses such as Brazil.

“Without meaning any offense to the Mauritanians, this opponent is surprising for a world champion,” they wrote in the publication, referring to the level of the teams chosen for this international window.

The analysis also raised two reasons behind these decisions. On the one hand, the economic aspect: they argue that the AFA prioritizes commercial agreements in specific markets. On the other, a strategy linked to the FIFA ranking, which would make it possible to maintain a high position with less sporting risk. In addition, the outlet mentioned the cancellation of the Finalissima against Spain as a factor that affected the search for opponents, although it said there were other more demanding alternatives that did not materialize.

Beyond the criticism, Scaloni’s tenure continues to post solid numbers in official competition. Argentina finished top of the World Cup qualifiers and will head into the 2026 World Cup with a well-established core, while in Europe the focus is on the level of the friendlies.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.