Argentina will use a 4-4-2 formation with Dibu Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Christian Romero, Marcos Senesi, Marco Acuña; Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Nico Paz, Nico Gonzalez; Julian Alvarez and Thiago Almada. Follow Argentina vs Mauritania live!

As for Mauritania, they’ll play 4-5-1. Mamadou Diop starts at goal; Brahima Keita, Lamine Ba, Jordan Lefort, and Aly Abeid will play at the back. Maata Magassa, Aboubakary Koita, Beyatt Lekoueiry, Oumar Ngom, and Djeidi Gassama form the five-man midfield. Mamadou Diallo will be the one man up front.

A couple of names are hugely intriguing for Argentina

Nico Paz and Thiago Almada are two young, up-and-coming Argentinian stars that could absolutely thrive in today’s game vs. Mauritiania. Nico Paz is shining and getting plenty of spotlight in Como as the team is one of the revelations of Serie A.

As for Almada, he might not have as many minutes in Atletico as Paz has in Como, but he has four goals this season, while being a valuable depth piece in Atletico. However, now he can prove himself by having a starting slot against a lesser opponent.

Mauritania came at the last moment

Argentina were supposed to play the Finalissima against Spain, but when that fell apart, there was not much time to get a new opponent, and most of them were already booked by other friendlies or international competitions. Hence, that’s why Argentina had to settle against Mauritania.

Mauritania showed resilience despite conceding early, using pace on the wings and direct attacks to challenge Argentina’s defense. Koita and Gassama caused occasional problems, and their persistence paid off with a late goal from Jordan Lefort’s free-kick rebound.

The friendly provided Lionel Scaloni with valuable insights as he experiments with his squad ahead of the World Cup. Argentina rotated several key players, tested new combinations, and left La Bombonera with a positive 2-1 result, while Mauritania earned praise for their competitive display.

For their second friendly, expectations remain modest, as Zambia is ranked 85th. This situation reflects the uncertainty surrounding the Finalissima, which was ultimately canceled, despite Spain having already confirmed its own friendlies. The late organization left Argentina with limited options for high-level opponents.

This late scheduling means top-tier teams were already committed to other matches, forcing Argentina to select “what was left,” a scenario that has concerned the Argentine fan base. Since the Qatar World Cup final, the team has not faced a high-caliber opponent in nearly three and a half years of friendlies.

Other friendlies Argentina played

Amid this backdrop, the matches against Mauritania (Friday, 27th at La Bombonera) and Zambia (31st at La Boca) are added to a list that includes unusual opponents such as Angola and Panama. Of all the friendlies played post-2022 World Cup, only Ecuador and the surprising Curacao will appear at the 2026 World Cup.

These matches have limited sporting stakes and are designed primarily to integrate younger players into the squad and strengthen team cohesion. Financial considerations also play a role, as organizing friendlies with lower-tier teams helps monetize the status of being world champions.

Why there were no Europeans

European teams have commitments in the Nations League, the Euros, and qualifiers, making scheduling difficult. At the same time, no major African teams, such as Morocco, Senegal, or Cameroon, were available, nor were top sides from Asia or Concacaf.

A clear economic explanation also applies: Argentina’s appearance fee is very high, making it nearly impossible for organizers to invest in matches between two high-cost teams. Under the leadership of Chiqui Tapia, the AFA sets strict financial conditions, leveraging Argentina’s status as the world champion and taking advantage of Messi latest matches with the national team. This leads to selecting smaller opponents who require less investment but still gain prestige from playing against the reigning champion.

[Watch Argentina vs Mauritania online in the US on Fubo]

With the highly anticipated Finalissima showdown between Argentina and Spain officially scrapped, the Albiceleste are pivoting quickly, using this FIFA Matchday window to stay sharp ahead of the next FIFA World Cup. Led by Lionel Messi, Argentina now turns its attention to this friendly against Mauritania.

The African side that may not rank among CAF’s elite but enters with everything to gain. For Mauritania, this matchup represents a rare shot at testing themselves against the reigning world champions, setting the stage for a spirited performance against one of the sport’s biggest powers.

When will the Argentina vs Mauritania match be played?

Argentina play against Mauritania in a 2026 friendly game this Friday, March 27, with the match kicking off at 7:15 PM (ET).

Argentina vs Mauritania: Time by State in the USA

ET: 7:15 PM
CT: 6:15 PM
MT: 5:15 PM
PT: 4:15 PM

How to watch Argentina vs Mauritania in the USA

This Friendly clash between Argentina and Mauritania will be available for viewers in the USA on Fubo. Other options: Fanatiz, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS Connect and ViX.

Their opponents on this farewell tour before the World Cup hold more modest positions. Zambia are ranked 85th while Mauritania sit 105th in the global standings.

The gap in the FIFA ranking between the national teams is significant. Argentina remain firmly in second place in the world, only behind Spain, reinforcing their status as a global powerhouse after a dominant qualifying campaign.

When will the matches be played?

These matches, scheduled for March 27 and 31 in Argentina, were organized by the AFA so that Lionel Scaloni’s squad could receive support from their fans before traveling to the World Cup, and they could also represent a possible farewell for their top star, Lionel Messi.

Argentina’s recent friendlies

Argentina’s recent friendlies have been criticized due to the level of their opponents, which are not considered on par with what a world champion should face. It is also important to remember that they compete in what many consider the toughest qualifiers. These are the latest friendlies:

• 5-0 Win vs Estonia
• 3-0 Win vs Honduras
• 3-0 Win vs Jamaica
• 5-0 Win vs UAE
• 2-0 Win vs Panama
• 7-0 Win vs Curazao
• 2-0 Win vs Australia
• 2-0 Win vs Indonesia
• 3-0 Win vs El Salvador
• 3-1 Win vs Costa Rica
• 1-0 Win vs Ecuador
• 4-1 Win vs Guatemala
• 1-0 Win vs Venezuela
• 6-0 Win vs Puerto Rico
• 2-0 Win vs Angola

Why was the Finalissima not played?

It was ultimately the result of a series of decisions after the Doha venue was ruled out due to external security concerns, where AFA, Conmebol, UEFA and the RFEF proposed hosting options in their own countries instead of choosing neutral venues, which created tension on both sides, and with no agreement reached, the match was canceled, including controversial statements such as the Conmebol president declaring Argentina as champion.

Since winning the Copa America in 2021, Argentina’s friendlies haven’t been precisely elite matchups. In fact, these are the teams they’ve faced since 2021 in friendly games.

• 5-0 Win vs Estonia
• 3-0 Win vs Honduras
• 3-0 Win vs Jamaica
• 5-0 Win vs UAE
• 2-0 Win vs Panama
• 7-0 Win vs Curazao
• 2-0 Win vs Australia
• 2-0 Win vs Indonesia
• 3-0 Win vs El Salvador
• 3-1 Win vs Costa Rica
• 1-0 Win vs Ecuador
• 4-1 Win vs Guatemala
• 1-0 Win vs Venezuela
• 6-0 Win vs Puerto Rico
• 2-0 Win vs Angola

Where are Mauritania in the FIFA rankings?

Mauritania are positioned 115th in the FIFA World Ranking. Mauritania have lost three games in a row. They lost to 4-0 to Senegal, followed by a 1-0 loss to Libya, and lastly, a 0-2 home loss to Kuwait.

The fact is Mauritania align with what the Argentinian Federation has seeked lately. Lower level teams to just maintain rhythm, but not opponents that will make the Lionel Messi and the national team sweat a lot.

Argentina’s focus is on the World Cup

There is one reason for the Argentinians to pick Mauritania, maybe. During the group phase, Argentina will face Jordan, Algeria, and Austria. Jordan have a similar style to Mauritania, albeit much more better and effective. However, in a soccer, philosophical way, they play with a similar brand.

Senegal got to this part after being the leaders of their group. There they shared the round with Ivory Coast, Uganda, and D.R. Congo. They finished in the first place after beating Ivory Coast and D.R. Congo and losing vs Uganda. Their last game was a 3-0 win over D.R. Congo to secure the lead.

Mauritania had much less margin for error than their opponents in the main round. Only the leader was going to advance to the next step since it was a three-team group. Although they did just enough to move on undefeated getting a victory against Mali along with a tie vs Angola.

Senegal vs Mauritania: Date

Senegal will clash with Mauritania in the quarterfinals of the 2022 African Nations Championship this Friday, January 27. The game will be played at Stade du 19 Mai 1956.

Senegal vs Mauritania: Time by State in the US

ET: 2 PM
CT: 1 PM
MT: 12 PM
PT: 11 AM

How to watch Senegal vs Mauritania in the US

The game between Senegal and Mauritania in the quarterfinals of the 2022 African Nations Championship will be available to watch or live stream on FuboTV (free trial) in the US. The other options are beIN SPORTS CONNECT and beIN SPORTS XTRA.