Messi notches two assists as Argentina beats Puerto Rico, 6-0, in Fort Lauderdale friendly

Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald on Oct 14, 2025

Published in Soccer

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi returned to the Argentina starting lineup on Tuesday night for a friendly against Puerto Rico at Chase Stadium, three nights after delivering two goals and an assist for Inter Miami in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United on the same field.

Messi did not score in 90 minutes against the overmatched Puerto Ricans, but he had a pair of assists and his teammates gave the Argentine faithful a treat at a bargain price. Tickets were going for as low as $32 on game day, and they got to see three goals in the first 35 minutes and a 6-0 victory by the end of the night.

The biggest cheers from the Puerto Rican fans were for Puerto Rican reggaeton star Ivy Queen, who performed at halftime.

Alexis Mac Allister scored the first goal in the 14th minute on a header from close range and Gonzalo Montiel made it 2-0 with a right-footed shot from the center of the box after getting a perfect through pass from Messi. Mac Allister scored again at the 36-minute mark with a blast from close range from the center of the box.

An own goal from Puerto Rico’s Steven Echevarria in the 64th minute gave Argentina a 4-0 lead. Lautaro Martinez came off the bench in the 63rd minute and scored a pair of goals to extend Argentina’s lead.

The friendly was originally scheduled to be played Monday night at Soldier Field in Chicago but was moved to Fort Lauderdale due to sagging ticket sales and concern over street protests about U.S. immigration policies.

Messi did not play for Argentina in the friendly against Venezuela Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium, which the Argentines won, 1-0, and focused his energy, instead, on Inter Miami’s important league game on Saturday. He played the full 90 minutes for his national team on Tuesday night and is expected to be back in an Inter Miami uniform for the MLS regular-season finale Saturday on the road against Nashville SC.

“I asked Leo if he was ready to play, he said he was, and it always makes us happy when he plays,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “He trained with us last week. We decided not to use him against Venezuela. ... I am sure he and Rodrigo [De Paul] felt at home playing on their field.”

Argentina, the reigning World Cup champion, is a favorite to defend its title next summer, when the 2026 World Cup is hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Albiceleste finished South American World Cup qualifying with a nine-point lead over second-place Ecuador atop the standings.

Scaloni said he was using the Venezuela and Puerto Rico friendlies to evaluate different pairings and some younger, less-experienced players. The roster for Tuesday’s game included a mix of veterans and newcomers.

“It was important for us to see the younger players making their debuts, or players with few minutes, and for them it was important to get their first experiences,” Scaloni said. “I remember my national team debut, it was against Libya, and it is a memory that is engrained in my head forever. These young players will never forget these games.”

Messi was joined in the starting lineup by Dibu Martinez, Montiel, Leonardo Balerdi, Nicolas Otamendi, Nico Gonzalez, De Paul, Mac Allister, Giovani Lo Celso, Giuliano Simeone and Jose “Flaco” Lopez, the Palmeiras forward who was making his national team debut.

De Paul, who is also Messi’s Inter Miami teammate, Otamendi and Mac Allister returned to the Starting XI after coming off the bench against Venezuela.

Scaloni made five changes during the second half. Lautaro Rivero replaced Otamendi, Anibal Moreno replaced Lo Celso, Nico Paz went in for Simeone, Martinez replaced Lopez and Nahuel Molina subbed in for Montiel.

Puerto Rico has already been eliminated from World Cup contention in the CONCACAF region. Its roster included two college players, starting goalkeeper Sebastian Cutler (Villanova) and Noeh Hernandez (De Paul), and three teammates from USL club Miami FC : defender Nicolas Cardona, midfielder Gerald Diaz and forward Ricardo Rivera.

Cardona and Rivera were in the starting lineup. The rest of the starters were Giovanni Calderon, Echevarria, Sidney Paris, Roberto Ydrach, Jeremy De Leon, Isaac Angking, Leandro Antonetti and Wilfredo Rivera. Hernandez and Diaz went in late in the second half.

It was the first time Argentina and Puerto Rico faced each other in an official match.