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Printable Page
03/31 22:29 CDT Lionel Messi shines in what could be his last Argentina home
game, a 5-0 farewell friendly win
Lionel Messi shines in what could be his last Argentina home game, a 5-0
farewell friendly win
By DBORA REY
Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) --- In what was likely his final home appearance
for Argentina's national squad, Lionel Messi scored a goal and provided an
assist in a 5-0 rout of Zambia on Tuesday night in a farewell friendly ahead of
the World Cup.
The 38-year-old Messi set up Julin Alvarez in the fourth minute and then
scored in the 43rd at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, his 116th
international goal in 198 appearances for Argentina.
The crowd gave him a standing ovation and pleaded with him to help Argentina
win another World Cup. The global tournament kicks off June 11 in the United
States, Mexico, and Canada.
Nicols Otamendi and Valentn Barco also scored for Argentina.
The defending world champions raised some concern after their lackluster
performance last Friday in a 2-1 victory over Mauritania.
In the lead-up to the Zambia friendly, coach Lionel Scaloni had warned that if
the team didn't improve its performance he would take drastic measures
regarding the 26-man World Cup squad, which must be submitted by May 30.
For the last home game before the World Cup, Scaloni started with a lineup
similar to that which defeated France in the 2022 final, with the notable
exclusion of midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, who is recovering from a muscle injury
and performed poorly against Mauritania.
Argentina, which also won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, will open against
Algeria on June 16 in Group J, followed by games against Austria on June 22 and
Jordan on June 27.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
