Argentina vs Burkina Faso – News and Probable Lineups

Having recently defeated Bolívia with relative ease, Argentina is set to host Burkina Faso at Estadio Mas Monumental for another friendly match this Saturday night (Sunday morning UK), just before Lionel Messi’s anticipated farewell.

Although Lionel Scaloni has stated that Messi is welcome to join in, it is unclear if the Inter Miami captain will take part in any capacity before next week’s matchup against Benin.

Match overview

There was a sense of excitement in Argentina leading up to their fixture with Bolívia, with many keen to observe how the Albiceleste would perform in their initial match since their defeat to Espanha in the 2026 World Cup final.

Considering the poor form of their opponents prior to the match, though, La Seleccion were expected to secure a decisive win, which they ultimately did.

Lautaro Martinez kicked off the scoring, followed by Nico Paz and captain Cristian Romero adding the second and third goals before the 60-minute mark; Jose Manuel Lopez capped off the game with a fourth, further embellishing the straightforward victory.

This win extended Argentina’s winning run in international friendlies to 20, dating back to a 2-2 draw with Uruguai in 2019, marking another notable success for the National Team.

As they head into their next match, they aim for their 21st consecutive friendly victory, looking to carry that momentum into Messi’s 208th and final appearance for the champions of 2022.

Burkina Faso is anticipated to provide a tougher test for the Albiceleste, given their more favorable form compared to Bolívia, who entered the match with four successive losses and no goals prior to their latest defeat against Argentina.

Amir Abdou’s team is also notably intense in their pressing style without the ball, although it remains uncertain how much of that will be on display in Buenos Aires this Saturday.

At the very least, they are entering their historic first match against Argentina with positive results in their AFCON qualifying campaign, having drawn with Benin and then recorded a 1-0 victory against the República Centro-Africana at the end of September.

These results place the Stallions in second place in Group F of their AFCON 2027 qualification stage, trailing Benin but still within a top-two position that guarantees a spot in next year’s finals for now.

Facing Argentina, however, presents a distinctly greater challenge for Les Etalons, who have yet to qualify for a World Cup and have limited experience competing against the world’s football elite, particularly in away matches.

Team News

While there is potential for Messi to feature on Saturday night, it is still unclear if the country’s greatest player will take part in any capacity ahead of the encounter with Benin.

Martinez exited the match against Bolívia with a suspected injury, casting doubt on whether the Inter de Milão captain will play this weekend, creating an opportunity for Lopez to start alongside Julian Alvarez up front.

After giving first caps to Roman Vega, Valentin Gomez, Ezequiel Fernandez, Santiago Simon, and Leonel Flores in the match against Bolívia, Matias Soule, Santiago Castro, and Tomas Palacios will be aiming to earn their initial international caps for La Seleccion.

However, Nico Paz is expected to feature again, having scored and assisted in the rout against Argentina’s previous opponents, as the Como star looks to shine in Buenos Aires.

For the visitors, the Stallions seem to have emerged from both AFCON qualifying matches without major issues, with Edmond Tapsoba recovering from an injury sustained against Benin to play in the most recent match against CAR.

Nonetheless, Abdou remains concerned about the fitness of Dango Ouattara, who missed both qualifying matches due to illness.

If the 12-goal Ouattara is sidelined, the Stallions are likely to rely on Lassina Traore to capitalize on opportunities, as no other player comes close to his 14 international goals in 33 appearances, averaging one every two matches.

As Saturday approaches, Abdou may give debuts to Julien Bationo, Mamoutou Ouedraogo, and Ismael Maiga, especially after Aboubacar Camara rewarded his trust by scoring a match-winning goal on his debut in the previous match.

Argentina probable starting XI:

Martinez; Giay, Romero, Martinez, Vega; Paz, Palacios, Equi, Prestianni; Alvarez, Lopez

Burkina Faso probable starting XI:

Coffin; Kabore, Djiga, E. Tapsoba, Kouassi; A. Tapsoba, Doucet, Ouedraogo; Bouda, Traore, Zagre

Despite Burkina Faso arriving in Buenos Aires with notable defensive organization and solid AFCON qualifying form, overcoming the former world champions at the Monumental presents a significantly different level of challenge.

Consequently, Scaloni’s confident squad is expected to possess more than enough attacking quality to prevail and should comfortably claim their 21st consecutive friendly win.