Messi scores and assists as Argentina beat Angola in friendly | OneFootball

With a goal and an assist from the star Lionel Messi, the Argentinian national team defeated Angola 2-0 in an international friendly match held this Friday (14th) in Luanda.

How the game went

Messi provided the pass for Lautaro Martínez to open the scoring for the ‘Albiceleste’ at the end of the first half (44’), and the roles reversed at 82 minutes into the game, with Lautaro assisting and Messi sending the ball into the back of the net.

Lautaro finished with a cross shot, and the ball touched the feet of the 39-year-old goalkeeper Hugo Marques before going in. Messi secured the victory with a strong left-footed shot into the corner.

The goal scorers of this Friday were substituted at the end of the second half by the world champion coach, Lionel Scaloni.

The result was expected, as Argentina ranks second in the FIFA rankings, behind Spain and 87 positions ahead of Angola.

The match, held at the national stadium of the Angolan capital, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the independence of this southern African nation, a former Portuguese colony.

It was Argentina's last game of the year, as the team secured its spot in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in North America.

New faces

Scaloni took advantage of the match to test new players, giving opportunities to the ‘Albiceleste’ to Kevin Mac Allister (Union Saint-Gilloise), Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica), Joaquín Panichelli (Strasbourg), and Máximo Perrone (Como).

“We always approach every game with the same seriousness,” assured Rodrigo De Paul to TyC Sports after the match, highlighting the debuts of new players in the ‘Albiceleste’.

The friendly was also marked by the presence of Gerónimo Rulli in goal, due to the absence of the starting goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez.

Scaloni had said before the match that the absent players from the squad list would be replaced by athletes he had been monitoring. “The game helps us observe them and reaffirm what we thought, that they can contribute,” he declared on Thursday in Luanda.

“Many of our players are playing for a chance to be included in the squad for the World Cup. Nothing is guaranteed,” continued the coach.

However, Scaloni is certain that Dibu Martínez will be Argentina's goalkeeper, who will fight for the fourth world championship in North America in seven months, after winning the third in Qatar in 2022.

The match, held at the national stadium of the Angolan capital, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the independence of this southern African nation, a former Portuguese colony.

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