Lionel Messi returned to the Argentina starting lineup on Tuesday night for a friendly against Puerto Rico at Chase Stadium, three nights after delivering two goals and an assist for Inter Miami in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United on the same field.
The Argentine captain did not score in 90 minutes against the overmatched Puerto Ricans, but he had a pair of assists and his teammates gave the spirited crowd a treat at a bargain price. Tickets were going for as low as $32 on game day, and they got to see three goals in the first 35 minutes and a 6-0 Argentina victory by the end of the night.
Messi reached 60 assists, breaking the international assist record previously held by Brazil’s Neymar, who had 59.
Among the highlights for the Puerto Rican fans was Puerto Rican reggaeton star Ivy Queen, who performed at halftime.
Alexis Mac Allister scored the first goal in the 14th minute on a header from close range and Gonzalo Montiel made it 2-0 with a right footed shot from the center of the box after getting a perfect through pass from Messi. Mac Allister scored again at the 36-minute mark with a blast from close range from the center of the box.
An own goal from Puerto Rico’s Steven Echevarria in the 64th minute gave Argentina a 4-0 lead. Lautaro Martinez came off the bench in the 63rd minute and scored a pair of goals to extend Argentina’s lead.
The friendly was originally scheduled to be played Monday night at Soldier Field in Chicago but was moved to Fort Lauderdale due to sagging ticket sales and concern over street protests about U.S. immigration policies.
Messi did not play for Argentina in the friendly against Venezuela Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium, which the Argentines won 1-0, and focused his energy, instead, on Inter Miami’s important league game on Saturday. He played the full 90 minutes for his national team on Tuesday night and is expected to be back in an Inter Miami uniform for the MLS regular season finale Saturday on the road against Nashville SC.
“I asked Leo if he was ready to play, he said he was, and it always makes us happy when he plays,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. “He trained with us last week. We decided not to use him against Venezuela…I am sure he and Rodrigo [De Paul] felt at home playing on their field.”
Argentina, the reigning World Cup champion, is a favorite to defend its title next summer, when the 2026 World Cup is hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Albiceleste finished South American World Cup qualifying with a nine-point lead over second-place Ecuador atop the standings.
Scaloni said he was using the Venezuela and Puerto Rico friendlies to evaluate different pairings and some younger, less-experienced players. The roster for Tuesday’s game included a mix of veterans and newcomers.
“It was important for us to see the younger players making their debuts, or players with few minutes, and for them it was important to get their first experiences,” Scaloni said. “I remember my national team debut, it was against Libya, and it is a memory that is engrained in my head forever. These young players will never forget these games.”
Messi was joined in the starting lineup by Dibu Martinez, Gonzalo Montiel, Leonardo Balerdi, Nicolas Otamendi, Nico Gonzalez, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Giovani Lo Celso, Giuliano Simeone, and Jose “Flaco” Lopez, the Palmeiras forward who was making his national team debut.
De Paul, who is also Messi’s Inter Miami teammate, Otamendi and Mac Allister returned to the Starting XI after coming off the bench against Venezuela.
Scaloni made five changes during the second half. Lautaro Rivero replaced Otamendi, Anibal Moreno replaced Lo Celso, Nico Paz went in for Simeone, Lautaro Martinez replaced Lopez and Nahuel Molina subbed in for Montiel.
Puerto Rico has already been eliminated from World Cup contention in the CONCACAF region. Its roster included two college players, starting goalkeeper Sebastian Cutler (Villanova) and Noeh Hernandez (De Paul), and three teammates from USL club Miami FC : defender Nicolas Cardona, midfielder Gerald Diaz and forward Ricardo Rivera.
Cardona and Rivera were in the starting lineup. The rest of the starters were Giovanni Calderon, Steven Echevarria, Sidney Paris, Roberto Ydrach, Jeremy De Leon, Isaac Angking, Leandro Antonetti, and Wilfredo Rivera. Hernandez and Diaz went in late in the second half.
It was the first time Argentina and Puerto Rico faced each other in an official match.
Puerto Rico coach Charlie Trout, the 40-year-old Englishman who played college soccer at University of Illinois-Chicago and worked as a postman before being named manager, said he hoped his players would take good lessons away from the game, despite the scoreline.
“We learned so many lessons, we played the number one team in the world,” said Trout, one of the youngest managers in international soccer. “But we’re all competitive people, so it’s hard to put in perspective now because it hurts. We had some good moments. We knew it would be a tough game against a team of that level. One lapse of structure or concentration and they punish you. Argentina had a strong team out there, their top players on the field. Obviously, Messi, who did a lot to break us down, the way he does.”
Puerto Rico forward Wilfredo Rivera admitted he and his teammates were “starstruck” when they first saw Messi on the field.
“When I saw that guy, it’s hard to even say his name, it was like I was playing in a FIFA video game,” Rivera said. “[Charlie told us] that they are normal people, they eat the same things we eat, but still, when it comes to Messi, I have no words. It was a big moment for me and for Puerto Rico. I will never forget it.”