Argentina Begin Post-Messi Era With Dominant 4-0 Win Over Bolivia

Argentina made an impressive start to a new chapter without Lionel Messi, beating Bolivia 4-0 in a friendly at the Mario Kempes Stadium.

The Argentine Football Association had promoted the match with a “new era” message on social media, and the team delivered an emphatic performance on the pitch.

With Messi and Nicolas Otamendi absent, Cristian “Cuti” Romero was handed the captain's armband. Argentina controlled possession from the opening minutes and quickly established their dominance.

Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring after receiving a pass from Alexis Mac Allister. He unleashed a powerful effort from the edge of the penalty area to give Argentina the lead.

Nico Paz then doubled the advantage. The young Como midfielder finished calmly after receiving a chance created by Palacios, giving Argentina a comfortable 2-0 lead.

Julian Alvarez had an opportunity to make it three before halftime, but the Atletico Madrid forward was unable to convert.

Argentina continued to control the match after the break and eventually added a third goal through captain Romero. He rose to meet a superb free-kick delivered by Nico Paz and headed the ball into the net.

Substitute Flaco Lopez completed the scoring with an excellent sliding finish, putting the result beyond doubt.

There was a brief concern for Argentina late in the match when Lautaro Martinez left the field with a bandage after suffering a blow to the head. His injury, however, was not considered serious based on the initial assessment.

The performances of Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez up front, combined with Nico Paz's creativity and Romero's leadership, offered plenty of encouragement as Argentina move into a new phase under Lionel Scaloni.

Argentina will next face Burkina Faso in another friendly on Saturday before taking on Benin at Buenos Aires' Monumental Stadium next Wednesday. Messi could potentially feature in that match, although his participation has not been confirmed.