Argentina defeated Mauritania 2-1 in an international friendly that marked the return of Lionel Messi and the national team to Buenos Aires. Despite the win, goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez expressed his dissatisfaction with facing a lower-level opponent as part of the team’s preparations for their World Cup title defense.
“We wanted to compete a bit more. We were waiting until the last minute to see what we were doing, and an opponent was found at the very last second,” Martinez told reporters following the match.
Argentina was originally scheduled to face Spain in a high-profile 2026 Finalissima clash on Friday, March 27. However, the match was canceled after CONMEBOL, UEFA, and the respective federations failed to reach an agreement regarding the venue.
Martinez slams Argentina’s performance
On paper, Argentina—ranked 4th in the world—was expected to dominate Mauritania, currently ranked 115th. While the Albiceleste took an early lead, Martinez did not hold back in his critique of the team’s second-half display.
Nico Paz celebrates Argentina’s second goal. (Getty Images)
“The first half was fine; obviously we had to adapt a bit since we hadn’t played together in a while,” Martinez noted. “But the second half was very poor. We lacked intensity and commitment. When we wear this national team jersey, we have to do much better“.
Lionel Scaloni’s squad started the match with a high tempo, dominating the first half with goals from Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Paz. What looked like an impending blowout, however, shifted in the second half.
As Martinez analyzed, the team’s performance dropped significantly, showing a lack of urgency that allowed Mauritania to gain more control of the ball, that led them to score at the end of the game.
When is Argentina’s next friendly?
Following the 2-1 victory, Argentina will face Zambia this coming Tuesday, March 31, at La Bombonera. The match will serve as the team’s final appearance on home soil before the squad departs for North America to begin the 2026 World Cup.
