Argentina put on a show at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to defeat El Salvador 3-0 in an international friendly. Cristian Romero, Enzo Fernández and Giovani Lo Celso scored the goals for Lionel Scaloni’s side.
Lionel Messi missed the match due to a hamstring injury that ruled him out of this March international window. La Albiceleste return to action Tuesday, when they play Costa Rica in Los Angeles.
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Argentina beat El Salvador 3-0
That's it for tonight. Argentina outplayed El Salvador to win 3-0 and you lived every moment in Bolavip. Thanks for staying with us and we'll see you next time!
90' - FULL TIME!
The referee blew the final whistle as Argentina claim a 3-0 victory over El Salvador in their first friendly in 2024.
89' - Garnacho misses again!
The Manchester United sensation is struggling to find the net tonight as once again his effort goes wide.
85' - Argentina still in control
Argentina are comfortably controlling the ball but continue to chase the opposition's net to try and make this a five-goal match.
81' - González again!
The Salvadoran goalkeeper saves another rocket by Di María.
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González saves El Salvador from worse result
Mário González may be the reason Argentina are not leading by an even bigger difference.
Alejandro Garnacho almost seized a great pass by Mac Allister but his effort couldn't find the net.
77' - El Salvador make their final substitutions
Blanco and Henríquez are replaced by Garay and Flores, respectively.
72' - More substitutions
Darwin Cerén leaves the field for Mervin Cartagena in El Salvador. Argentina make their last two substitutions as well, with Cristian Romero being replaced by Nahuel Molina, whereas Alexis Mac Allister comes on for Giovani Lo Celso.
71' - Argentina not slowing down
La Albiceleste continue to put El Salvador's back against the wall, with Garnacho and Barco actively looking to find the net.
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64' - More substitutions
Brighton gem Facundo Buonanotte replaces Rodrigo de Paul in Argentina, whereas Bryan Tamacas and Narciso Orellana left the field for El Salvador, with Pablo Punyed and Julio Sibrián coming on.
59' - González denies Di María again
The Salvadoran came up with another great save to prevent Di María from scoring a beautiful goal.
Just like that, a Cuti Romero header puts Argentina in front in Philadelphia!
15' - Argentina looking for the opener
The defending world champs control possession of the ball but are still trying to figure out how to break the deadlock at Lincoln Financial Field.
Dibu Martinez's new hairstyle
Emiliano Martinez came up with a special hairstyle rocking the country's three stars!
7' - Argentina's first effort!
González saved a deflected shot to keep the game 0-0!
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6' - Dibu Martinez warned
The referee warned the Argentine keeper for delaying the game.
3' - Corner for El Salvador!
La Selecta put some pressure on the reigning world champs!
GAME ON!
The game is underway in Philadelphia!
Teams already on the field!
Both teams are on the field for the national anthems as kick-off draws nearer!
Argentina's No. 10 remains untaken
With Messi out, Argentina's iconic No. 10 shirt will remain unused during this international window, as Gaston Edul of TyC Sports reports.
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El Salvador's lineup
This is how El Salvador will line up in Philly tonight: Mario González, Bryan Tamacas, Melvin Cruz, Rudy Clavel, Jorge Cruz, Narciso Orellana, Nelson Flores, Darwin Cerén, Christian Martínez; Jairo Henríquez, Nelson Bonilla.
Argentina's starting XI
Scaloni will try something different tonight, with Nehuén Pérez making his debut while Nicolás Tagliafico will play center-back. Argentina's lineup: Emiliano Martínez; Nehuén Pérez, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Tagliafico, Nicolás González; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso; Ángel Di María, Lautaro Martínez.
Why Lionel Messi isn't playing
Lionel Messi picked up an injury while playing for Inter Miami, which is why he won't suit up for Argentina tonight. It remains to be seen whether another player will wear No. 10, while Lionel Scaloni has reportedly decided who will take penalties during Leo's absence.
Tonight's stage
The scene is set at the Lincoln Financial Field, the stage for tonight's international friendly. Home to the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, it opened in 2003 with a club friendly between Barcelona and Manchester United. With a 68,532 capacity, it was home to three Copa América Centenario matches in 2016. In two years, it will host six World Cup fixtures.
𝙃𝙤𝙮 𝙟𝙪𝙚𝙜𝙖 𝙇𝙖 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙖 ante la actual campeona del mundo🏆🌎⚽️😍!
🆚 🇸🇻🇦🇷
🏟️ Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia
⌚️ 8:30 PM (USA)
⏱️ 6:30 PM (SLV)
#ElSalvador#LaSelecta
These teams met just twice so far, with Argentina emerging victorious both times. Their first matchup came in the 1982 World Cup, with La Albiceleste claiming a 2-0 win in the first round. Last time they met, La Selecta lost 2-0 in a friendly in Washington on March 28, 2015.
The Argentine national team plays an international friendly against El Salvador in Philadelphia tonight. This will be the first game of the year for the reigning world champions.
Martin O'Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Since joining Bolavip in February 2021, he has extensively covered soccer, NFL, and NBA, specializing in real-time coverage of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. Martin’s prior experience includes managing social media for the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. At Bolavip, he is known for his meticulous coverage during critical sports seasons—covering trades, playoffs, and finals—and for keeping a close eye on soccer icons Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news have made him a valuable asset to the team.