Argentina’s post-Messi era begins with a defeat to Uruguay

Bangla Press Desk:  Lionel Messi has retired, and he will not be returning. Argentina must now look to the future. However, this new chapter has not begun well for *La Albiceleste*; they lost their opening match, falling 2-1 to Uruguay in a friendly on Saturday.

Beyond the defeat, a more concerning issue was the lack of public interest in the team. During the Lionel Messi era, the stadiums would be packed; following his departure, La Bombonera—which has a capacity of nearly 60,000—was half-empty. Even with a 40 percent discount on tickets, Lionel Scaloni’s side failed to draw a crowd.

The events that unfolded during the match may further dampen interest. This marks Argentina’s first defeat in a friendly since March 2019—a period during which Scaloni’s men had remained unbeaten for 30 matches.

Argentina played reasonably well in the first half against Uruguay, managing to hold their own defensively, though they struggled to break down the opposition's defense. They did come close to scoring once, with Nico Paz getting the team’s best chance; his shot was brilliantly saved by Uruguayan goalkeeper Christopher Fiermarin.

However, the defense crumbled early in the second half. A free-kick from the left by Giorgian de Arrascaeta caused chaos in the Argentine backline. Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez attempted to clear the ball with a header, but it struck his teammate Balerdi and deflected into the net.

De Arrascaeta also played a direct role in the second goal in the 53rd minute; his corner kick deflected off Araújo’s shoulder and looped into the goal.

Julián Álvarez pulled one back for Argentina midway through the second half and also had a promising opportunity during injury time. But Uruguay held onto their lead and left the pitch having secured the win.