World Cup 2026 | Argentina overcomes Honduras in friendly with Messi on the bench

Argentina secured a 2-0 victory over Honduras in a pre-World Cup friendly, with Lionel Messi observing the match from the bench as he recovers from an injury. The game, held at the Kyle Field stadium in Texas, saw a crowd of over 91,000 spectators.

The Albiceleste opened the scoring in the 37th minute when Lautaro Martínez successfully converted a penalty. The lead was extended in the 54th minute by Giuliano Simeone, who tapped in the second goal after receiving a clever backheel pass from Martínez, often referred to as 'El Toro'.

Coach Lionel Scaloni used the match to test his squad, fielding a lineup that included Valentín Barco in midfield, Giuliano Simeone on the left wing, and Thiago Almada as an attacking midfielder. The team displayed a disciplined, methodical performance that improved as the game progressed, with several substitutions made in the second half to evaluate different players.

Fans in the stadium, which has a capacity of over 102,000, cheered for Messi whenever he appeared on the big screens. The match also experienced a brief, unusual moment when the song "La cumbia el 'bombón asesino'" played instead of Argentina's national anthem, though the error was quickly rectified.

Following this friendly, Argentina is scheduled to play another match against Iceland on June 9 in Auburn, Alabama, before their World Cup 2026 debut against Algeria in Group J, alongside Austria and Jordan.