Argentina begins post-Messi period with 4-0 Bolivia win

Argentina opened its first match since Lionel Messi announced his international retirement with a 4-0 victory over Bolivia in Córdoba on Wednesday, as goals from Lautaro Martínez, Nicolás Paz, Cristian Romero and José López carried the team through its first test without its longtime captain. The win came as coach Lionel Scaloni introduced young players alongside established members of the squad. Martínez opened the scoring in the 19th minute, and Paz doubled Argentina’s lead 10 minutes later. Romero scored in the 54th minute, and López completed the result in the 86th. Romero captained the side in Messi’s absence. The match marked Argentina’s return to action after its defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. Nineteen-year-old Boca Juniors winger Leonel Flores made his national-team debut as a substitute. Scaloni said Flores should be protected and managed carefully, comparing the need to nurture him with the development of Franco Mastantuono. Mastantuono also came on as a substitute, while Paz, who plays for Como, took on a prominent creative role and scored Argentina’s second goal.