Argentina 4-0 Bolivia — a winning start to life without Messi, and a goal for new captain Cristian Romero [International Friendly]
2026-10-01
International Friendly: Argentina hosted Bolivia and came away with a 4-0 win.
Argentina beat Bolivia 4-0 in Córdoba in their first match since the World Cup final. Lautaro Martínez, Nico Paz, new captain Cristian Romero and substitute José Manuel López scored, with Paz adding an assist.
Argentina beat Bolivia 4-0 in their first match without Messi — new captain Romero on the scoresheet
Argentina beat Bolivia 4-0 in an international friendly at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba on 30 September. It was their first match since losing the 2026 World Cup final to Spain, and Lionel Messi — who is retiring from international football and joins the squad only for the 6 October game against Benin — was absent. Cristian Romero, Messi's successor as captain, headed in the third goal. Lautaro Martínez, Nico Paz, Romero and José Manuel López scored. Because of a FIFA sanction, the crowd was limited to 50 per cent of the stadium's capacity. Bolivia, beaten 2-0 by Paraguay on 27 September, have now lost both matches of their autumn trip.
Line-ups — Argentina's 4-4-2 with Prestianni and Román Vega starting, Bolivia's 3-5-2
Lionel Scaloni went with a 4-4-2. Emiliano Martínez started in goal behind Román Vega, Lisandro Martínez, Romero and Agustín Giay from left to right. Gianluca Prestianni played on the left of midfield, Alexis Mac Allister and Exequiel Palacios in the centre and Nico Paz on the right, with Lautaro and Julián Álvarez up front. The surprise was the inclusion of the 20-year-old Prestianni and 22-year-old Vega, in place of Facundo Medina and Matías Soulé, who had been expected to start. Palacios came into midfield for the suspended Enzo Fernández. Bolivia lined up in a 3-5-2: Guillermo Viscarra in goal; Diego Arroyo, Efraín Morales and Marcelo Tórrez at the back; Roberto Fernández, Ramiro Vaca, Héctor Cuéllar, Robson Matheus and Yomar Rocha across midfield; and 18-year-old Jesús Maraude alongside Miguel Terceros in attack.
Lautaro on 19 minutes and Nico Paz on 29 put Argentina 2-0 up
The deadlock was broken on 19 minutes, when Lautaro took Mac Allister's pass inside the box and finished low into the bottom left corner with his right foot. On 29 minutes Palacios played Nico Paz through, and Paz lifted a left-footed shot over the advancing goalkeeper to make it 2-0 — a decisive pass from the man standing in for Enzo. Bolivia had play stopped for an injury to Viscarra on 37 minutes, and Arroyo was hurt soon after; 19-year-old Leonardo Viviani replaced him on 43 minutes. Bolivia also replaced Vaca with José Flores at half-time with the score at 2-0.
Romero heads in a third from a set piece on 54 minutes
Argentina kept up the pressure after the break and scored a third on 54 minutes, when Romero met Nico Paz's set-piece delivery with a header into the bottom left corner. The Kempes is a special ground for Romero, a Córdoba native who made his professional debut for Belgrano, and he was warmly applauded in his first match as captain. The goal gave Paz a goal and an assist. Scaloni then made three changes at once on 56 minutes, replacing Romero, Prestianni and Paz with Leonardo Balerdi, Valentín Barco and Franco Mastantuono.
Lautaro forced off, substitute López adds a fourth on 86 minutes
Play was stopped for Lautaro on 61 minutes. He carried on but was replaced by José Manuel López on 75 minutes; the extent of the problem has not been disclosed. Scaloni also brought on Ezequiel Fernández and Santiago Simón for Mac Allister and Giay on 74 minutes, then Leonel Flores and Valentín Gómez for Lisandro Martínez and Palacios on 81, using eight substitutes in the second half. It was two of them who combined for the final goal: on 86 minutes, from a move started by the 19-year-old Flores, López fired a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner for 4-0. It was the Palmeiras forward's first goal for Argentina.
Argentina dominate the numbers — Bolivia manage one shot on target
Argentina had 70 per cent of possession and outshot Bolivia 18 to 5, with seven shots on target to one and 12 corners to one. Bolivia spent most of the match in their own half and rarely broke forward to get a shot away; Terceros was booked on 50 minutes. Óscar Villegas's side finished their two autumn friendlies, against Paraguay and Argentina, with two defeats and no goals.
Next up — Argentina face Burkina Faso at the Monumental on 3 October
Argentina play Burkina Faso at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on 3 October, again with the crowd limited to 50 per cent by the FIFA sanction. Will Soulé, Medina, Giuliano Simeone and Nico González, who did not get on against Bolivia, get their chance, and how is Lautaro after going off hurt? Three days later, Argentina return to the Monumental to face Benin in Messi's final international match.
See the Argentina vs Burkina Faso predicted lineupsVenue: Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes
- Location
- Córdoba, Argentina
- Capacity
- 57,000
One of the venues of the 1978 World Cup. Attendance for this match was limited to 50 per cent of capacity because of a FIFA sanction.
Argentina
Formation: 4-4-2
- GKEmiliano Martínez
- LSBRomán Vega
- LCBLisandro Martínez
- RCBRomero
- RSBAgustín Giay
- LMFGianluca Prestianni
- LCMFAlexis Mac Allister
- RCMFExequiel Palacios
- RMFNico Paz
- LSTLautaro Martínez
- RSTJulián Álvarez
Argentina set up in a 4-4-2. Emiliano Martínez, Román Vega, Lisandro Martínez and others were named in the starting XI.
Bolivia
Formation: 3-5-2
- GKGuillermo Viscarra
- LCBDiego Arroyo
- CBEfraín Morales
- RCBMarcelo Torrez
- LWBRoberto Fernández
- LCMFRamiro Vaca
- DMFHéctor Cuéllar
- RCMFRobson Matheus
- RWBYomar Rocha
- LSTJesús Maraude
- RSTMiguel Terceros
Bolivia set up in a 3-5-2. Guillermo Viscarra, Diego Arroyo, Efraín Morales and others were named in the starting XI.
Match Summary
International Friendly: Argentina vs Bolivia finished 4-0. Argentina lined up in a 4-4-2.