Argentina put four past Guatemala at Commanders Field in Washington in their last international friendly before the 2024 Copa America in the USA. Lionel Messi put on a show, scoring a brace while recording an assist for Lautaro Martinez, who also scored from the penalty spot (Leo let him take the spot-kick).
With this result, Lionel Scaloni’s men head into the big tournament with high aspirations, riding on two wins in the June international window. On June 20, Argentina will play Canada in the Copa America opener.
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Argentina beat Guatemala 4-1
That's all for tonight! Argentina bounced back from a slow start to turn things around against Guatemala, claiming a 4-1 win in their last friendly before the 2024 Copa America.
Lionel Messi scored a brace and assisted Lautaro Martinez, who also scored from the penalty spot thanks to Leo, who let the striker take the spot-kick.
You lived every moment of this thrilling game with us, here on Bolavip. We hope you enjoyed it!
Thanks for staying with us and see you next time!
90' - FULL TIME!
Argentina defeated Guatemala 4-1 in Washington.
85' - Argentina dominate the game (4-1)
The reigning world champs are in control of the ball as they look for another goal in Washington.
VIDEO: Messi's second goal!
With this beautiful finish, Messi reaches 108 international goals:
De Paul put the ball in the back of the net but the assistant ref ruled offside.
66' - ARGENTINA SCORE! (3-1)
Lautaro with his second of the night thanks to an assist by Messi.
Just after the goal celebration, Martinez left the field for Julian Alvarez.
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A pitch invader at Commanders Field!
A pitch invader stormed the field to greet Messi but security stopped him.
60' - Three substitutions in Argentina
Leandro Paredes, Angel Di Maria, and Rodrigo de Paul come on for Argentina.
Valentin Carboni, Giovani Lo Celso, and Alexis Mac Allister leave the field.
55' - Argentina get close to the third one! (2-1)
Nicolas Gonzalez almost finishes off a fantastic team play but his shot gets deflected.
53' - Guatemala almost score! (2-1)
Morales' effort goes just wide as Argentina still lead 2-1 in Washington.
50' - Argentina in control (2-1)
The reigning world champs are dominating possession of the ball as they look to extend their lead.
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45' - SECOND HALF UNDERWAY! (Argentina 2-1 Guatemala)
Argentina and Guatemala are back from the break as the game continues at Commanders Field.
HALFTIME: Argentina 2-1 Guatemala
After started trailing with an own goal by Lisandro Martinez, Argentina lead 2-1 at the break thanks to goals by Messi and Lautaro.
45' - SO CLOSE! (2-1)
What a sequence! Messi's free kick hit the post, the woodwork saved Guatemala in the rebound and, even though Argentina managed to find the net after all, the goal was disallowed for offside.
42' - Free kick for Argentina
Messi with a great set piece opportunity as Lautaro gets fouled.
WATCH: Lautaro's goal
Here's the goal that is giving Argentina the lead against Guatemala:
Still shocked by the unexpected Lisandro Martinez own goal, Argentina are desperately trying to get things going with the ball but Guatemala are not making it easy.
5' - GUATEMALA SCORE! (0-1)
Just like that! Guatemala seize on the free-kick occasion and take the lead in Washington!
4' - Free-kick for Guatemala!
Nicolas Otamendi gives Guatemala a set piece.
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3' - Guatemala looking to hold Argentina (0-0)
Only three minutes into the game, Argentina are in complete control of the ball, with Guatemala dropping back to try and prevent the world champs from finding spaces.
0' - GAME ON! (0-0)
The game between Argentina and Guatemala is underway at Commanders Field.
Teams walk out to the field!
Argentina and Guatemala are already on the field for the national anthems.
The game is about to start!
Kick-off in 10'!
Both Argentina and Guatemala returned to the dressing rooms as they've already warmed up for the game.
Kick-off in 10 minutes!
Messi greets fans
Leo Messi greets fans at Commanders Field during warm up.
Argentina head into this game aiming to build on a 1-0 friendly win over Ecuador at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday.
Guatemala, on the other hand, already played twice this month, claiming commanding wins over Dominica (6-0) and the British Virgin Islands (3-0).
Teams already warming up
Both Argentina and Guatemala are already performing warm-up drills at Commanders Field.
We're nearly 30 minutes away from kick-off!
Argentina's lineup confirmed: Messi starts!
Now we can officially say Lionel Messi will start tonight.
This is Argentina's starting lineup against Guatemala: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Gonzalez; Valentin Carboni, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Giovani Lo Celso; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez.
Argentina and Guatemala have already met twice, with La Albiceleste emerging victorious in both friendlies.
Leo Messi stole the show in their first meeting in June 14, 2013, scoring a hat-trick as Argentina won 4-0 (Augusto Fernandez also got on the scoresheet) in Guatemala.
Five years later, Argentina put three past Guatemala when they met on September 8, 2018, in Los Angeles.
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Tonight's stage
Argentina and Guatemala will face off at Commanders Field in Landover, Maryland, 5 miles east of Washington DC.
Home to the NFL's Washington Commanders, this stadium has a 58,000 capacity and has already hosted soccer matches, as it was one of the 1998 FIFA Women's World Cup venues.
A general view during a match between the United States and Colombia at Commanders Field on June 08, 2024 in Landover, Maryland.
Tonight's referees
American referee Joe Dickerson will be officiating tonight's match between Argentina and Guatemala, joined by fellow Americans Logan Brown (assistant 1), Meghan Muller (assistant 2), and Luis Arroyo (4th referee).
In his pre-match press conference, coach Lionel Scaloni said he plans to let the Inter Miami star play for as long as possible: “Leo (Messi) will play from the start. If he can play the entire match, even better.”
Welcome to our live blog of Argentina vs Guatemala!
In their last friendly before the 2024 Copa America in the USA, Lionel Messi and company will play Los Chapines in Washington.
From now on, stay with us as we'll bring you everything you need to know in the preview. Once the game gets underway, you will not miss anything here, as we'll be delivering by the minute updates!
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.
