Argentina FC achieved a 2-1 victory against Mauritania in a friendly match on March 27, 2026, at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. Enzo Fernández opened the scoring in the 17th minute, followed by Nico Paz, who netted his first career national team goal in the 31st minute.
Mauritania managed to score in the dying moments of the match, with Jordan Lefort finding the back of the net in the 93rd minute. Despite the late goal, Argentina held on to secure the win.
Notably, Lionel Messi made an appearance off the bench in the second half, although his future participation in the 2026 World Cup remains uncertain. Messi, who holds the record for the most appearances in World Cup history with 26, expressed his desire to play but emphasized the importance of making a calm decision.
Argentina’s head coach, Lionel Scaloni, commented on the team’s performance, stating, “Today, the team wasn’t good, it’s good to say that.” Goalkeeper Dibu Martinez echoed these sentiments, noting, “In the second half, we lacked intensity.”
In a concerning development, Joaquin Panichelli suffered an ACL tear during training prior to the match. Panichelli, who is currently the top scorer in Ligue 1 with 16 goals in 27 matches, is expected to face a recovery period of approximately nine months.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the impact of Panichelli’s injury on Argentina’s squad and Messi’s decision about participating in the World Cup. The cancellation of the Finalissima match against Spain due to the conflict in the Middle East has also raised questions about the team’s upcoming schedule.
