Argentina‘s national team surprised fans by organizing a friendly match against the U-20 team less than 24 hours after their World Cup Qualifier against Uruguay. So, why Lionel Scaloni’s side played this game ahead of the crucial Brazil match?
Argentina secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Uruguay in Matchday 13 of the CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, putting them on the brink of securing their qualification for the international competition.
The team’s next match is against Brazil on Tuesday at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. However, before that, Argentina faced the U-20 team in a special friendly.
Argentina’s friendly for charity
On Saturday, coach Lionel Scaloni, alongside Argentina Football Federation president Claudio Tapia, announced the friendly match to raise funds for the Penna Hospital in Bahia Blanca, which has been severely impacted by recent flooding.
This initiative was driven by the coaching staff, along with players German Pezzella and Lautaro Martinez, both of whom hail from the affected city. The friendly, referred to as a “training session with spectators,” took place at the Tomas Adolfo Duco Stadium, where fans had the opportunity to watch the World Cup-winning team.
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The match, played in two 20-minute halves, served as both a charity event and an opportunity for Scaloni to rotate his squad. It allowed players who didn’t feature in the Uruguay match to gain valuable minutes ahead of the Brazil game. The senior team secured a 2-0 victory, with goals from Angel Correa and Nico Paz.
Lineups for the game
Argentina’s starting lineup: Walter Benitez; Juan Foyth, German Pezzella, Leonardo Balerdi, Facundo Medina; Exequiel Palacios, Maximo Perrone, Nico Paz, Angel Correa, Benjamin Dominguez; Santiago Castro.
Argentina U-20 starting lineup: Geronimo Rulli; Dylan Gorosito, Valente Pierani, Tobias Ramírez, Teo Pagano; Valentino Acuña, Milton Delgado, Lautaro Millan; Ian Subiabre, Santiago Hidalgo, Dylan Aquino
