Overview
- Argentina opened the first post‑World Cup friendly window with a 4-0 victory over Bolivia in Córdoba on Wednesday, with goals from Lautaro Martínez, Nicolás Paz, Cristian Romero and José Manuel López.
- Lionel Messi did not play in Córdoba and remains scheduled to make his Argentina farewell against Benin at the Monumental on October 6.
- Cristian 'Cuti' Romero wore the captain's armband in Messi's absence while Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez, Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez emerged as on‑field leaders during a match used to experiment with pairings and roles.
- FIFA disciplinary measures tied to discriminatory chants at the World Cup forced partial stand closures and a 50% capacity limit at the Mario Kempes and will affect at least one upcoming Monumental friendly, changing ticket allocations and stadium logistics.
- The game doubled as an evaluation window for Scaloni, who is negotiating renewal with the AFA and handed debuts and minutes to several young players as he begins to build the next Argentina core ahead of matches on October 3 and the Messi farewell on October 6.