By GlobalDeskNews Staff | October 4, 2026
Argentina Thrash Burkina Faso 7-0 in Friendly Overshadowed by Travel Chaos
Argentina produced a devastating attacking display to beat Burkina Faso 7-0 in an international friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on October 3, 2026. But the scoreline tells only half the story of a match overshadowed by extraordinary problems surrounding the visitors' trip to South America.
The goals
Argentina took the lead in the fourth minute when Lautaro Martínez converted the rebound after his penalty was saved. Burkina Faso defender Moumoune Diallo then scored an own goal before Gianluca Prestianni, Nico Paz and Julián Álvarez added three more before half-time. Argentina went into the break 5-0 up.
Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone scored in the second half to complete the rout. Prestianni, Mastantuono and Paz all scored their first goals for the senior national team.
Travel nightmare for Burkina Faso
The match was overshadowed by problems surrounding Burkina Faso's trip to Argentina. The African team, ranked 62nd by FIFA, arrived in Buenos Aires just five hours before kick-off after their private flight from Morocco was cancelled because of a technical failure.
Several of Burkina Faso's senior players then refused to travel, citing fatigue, which meant they fielded a young, inexperienced team at the Monumental after an 11-hour flight.
Scaloni praises the visitors
Despite the one-sided scoreline, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was full of praise for the Burkina Faso players who made the trip.
"What the Burkina Faso national team has done is truly commendable; it elevates football," Scaloni said. "We try to respect them and are very grateful that they were able to come."
"They could have stayed, and the match could have been cancelled. We are enormously grateful they have been able to come because they made the effort," he added.
Messi's farewell awaits
Lionel Messi did not play after arriving in Argentina on October 2. He is expected to feature in the friendly against Benin on October 6 at the Monumental, which will mark his formal farewell from international football after a 21-year career with Argentina.
What it means
The result continues Argentina's strong run in the post-World Cup period, though the circumstances mean it offered limited competitive insight. For Burkina Faso's young players, it was a harsh lesson at the highest level — but one they will not forget.