Argentina Secures 2-0 Victory Over Honduras Ahead of World Cup Without Messi

The Argentina national team continued its preparations for the 2026 World Cup with a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over Honduras in a friendly match held early this morning in Texas, USA.

Notably absent from the match was team captain Lionel Messi, who was rested by head coach Lionel Scaloni after recently recovering from an injury. The coaching staff opted to give him additional time to recuperate ahead of the official competitions.

Despite Messi’s absence, Argentina delivered a solid performance, with Scaloni fielding several alternative players. The attacking trio included Julián Simeone, Thiago Almada, and Lautaro Martínez.

Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring in the 37th minute with a penalty kick, and he later assisted the second goal in a spectacular fashion. He flicked the ball with his heel to Julián Simeone, who netted it in the 54th minute.

Argentina will play another friendly against Iceland on June 10 before commencing their World Cup journey against Algeria on June 17. They are placed in Group D, which also includes Jordan and Austria.