Argentina loses 2-1 to Uruguay without Messi
In a friendly on Friday, the Argentine team suffers defeat in its first commitment after the retirement of the number 10 jersey.
November 14, 2026
Argentina lost 2-1 to Uruguay in a friendly match on Friday. It was the first match of the Argentine national team without Lionel Messi.
Defeat and start of a new phase
Argentina took to the field on Friday to play a friendly against Uruguay, marking its first official appearance after Lionel Messi's international retirement. The match ended with a Uruguayan victory by a score of 2-1. The negative result exposed the team's immediate difficulties in structuring its offensive actions without its main reference of recent years.
Scaloni projects reconstruction process
In the face of the setback in the South American classic, coach Lionel Scaloni highlighted the urgent need for reformulation in the squad. According to ESPN FC, the coach called for a reconstruction of the team to deal with the new competitive reality. The Argentine technical commission will have the mission of finding tactical alternatives to fill the void left by the star player in the team's upcoming commitments.
History of the South American clash
The record of the classic shows a recent balance between the two teams in the qualifiers. Before this friendly, the last meeting had ended 1-0 in favor of Argentina in March 2025. In November 2023, Uruguay had surpassed the Argentines 2-0 in the same competition. The new Uruguayan triumph by 2-1 consolidates another remarkable chapter in this continental rivalry.