Argentina beat Bolivia 4-0 in Córdoba without Lionel Messi

Argentina returned to the pitch in Córdoba and beat Bolivia 4-0 in a friendly at the Mario Kempes Stadium, their first game without Lionel Messi in the lineup.

Lautaro Martínez scored in the 19th minute and Nicolás Paz added a second ten minutes later, giving Lionel Scaloni’s side control before halftime. Cristian Romero made it 3-0 after the break, and José “Flaco” López finished the scoring in the 86th minute.

The match also gave Scaloni a chance to look at new faces. Agustín Giay started at right back, while Román Vega and Gianluca Prestianni were handed rare starts. Nicolás Paz, the Como midfielder, stood out in attack.

Messi had already announced his retirement from Argentina duty, and the forward is due to play a farewell game against Benin on 6 October. Argentina’s win over Bolivia came with several younger players getting minutes as the team began shaping the next stage of the squad.

Argentina beat Bolivia 4-0 in Córdoba without Lionel Messi

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