Argentina Strike a 6-0 Masterclass in Miami: Messi, Mac Allister, and Martial Squad Rotation Spark a Friendly Rout

Argentina Crushes Puerto Rico 6-0 in Miami as Messi Shines

Argentina defeated Puerto Rico 6-0 in a friendly played in Miami, with Lionel Messi supplying two decisive assists. Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martinez each found the net, and Gonzalo Montiel added a goal as the visitors rotated nine starters from the Venezuela friendly. Messi started and played the full match, while Lopez earned his first cap and Alvarez stayed on the bench.

Argentina made nine changes to the starting lineup that had beaten Venezuela 1-0 in a warm-up four days earlier, with Emiliano Martinez and Lo Celso keeping their places. Gonzalez, Otamendi, Paredes, and Montiel were chosen in defense over Tagliafico, Senesi, Romero, and Molina. Argentina preferred Mac Allister, Simeone, and De Paul in midfield over Paredes, while Enzo Fernandez and Paz did not start in that area, and Alvarez remained on the bench in attack.

Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 14th minute after the match was moved from Chicago to Inter Miami's stadium, heading in from a cross by Nico Gonzalez. Then Messi assisted the second goal scored by Gonzalo Montiel in the 23rd minute, before Mac Allister added his second and Argentina's third in the 36th minute via a pass from Jose Lopez.

In the second half, Steven Echavarría widened the gap by scoring an own goal in the 64th minute. Substitute Lautaro Martinez came on and hit the final two in the 79th and 84th minutes, from a pass by Nico Gonzalez and a pass by the captain Messi, who played the full 90.

Argentina had played the day before beating Venezuela 1-0 on Friday, while Puerto Rico had defeated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2-1. Messi missed the Venezuela match, but coach Lionel Scaloni said his captain was ready to feature on Tuesday.

Scaloni explained that Messi was prepared to play after training with the squad last week, emphasizing the balance between veteran leadership and youngster opportunities as the team gears up for 2026. He added that the selection allowed several players to stake a claim ahead of more definitive preparations.

The atmosphere around the game was notably sparse, with organizers citing weak ticket sales and immigration-enforcement concerns in Chicago as contributing factors to the relocation. ESPN described the match as unusual in several respects, noting tickets as low as $25 and a stadium that filled gradually as kick-off approached.

From a university angle, the match highlighted a Puerto Rico side featuring several college players, including a Villanova-trained goalkeeper and a DePaul midfielder, underscoring the broad talent pool on show. The result comes as part of Argentina’s build-up for the World Cup 2026, slated to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. Argentina, ranked third by FIFA, looks to reboot the squad while chasing back-to-back World Cup titles, a feat last achieved by Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

Coincidentally, the day’s headlines also touched on political tensions as President Donald Trump threatened to move World Cup-related games from the Boston area in the near future, highlighting how sport and politics occasionally collide on the world stage.

Punchline time: If a 6-0 win is a warm-up, imagine the fire when the real games start—Brazil better bring sunscreen. Punchline 2: Messi’s passes are so precise, even the ball asked for a day off after the iso-mathematic wizardry on display.