Before Argentina-Uruguay
There will be a strange sense of unknowing when Argentina go out on the field against Uruguay at La Bombonera on Friday night.
Their star number 10, arguably the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi will not be there. There will be disappointment and a sense of regret, but it will also give Lionel Scaloni and his players a chance to look ahead and embrace a new era.
That’s how Scaloni will frame it as he begins a process to shape his squad ahead of the 2028 Copa America and 2030 World Cup.
Scaloni himself has verbally agreed to sign a new deal, giving Argentina much-needed stability. And the likes of Nico Paz and Gianluca Prestianni have a new wave of players coming in to complement former players like Emiliano Martinez and Alexis Mac Allister.
Argentina has played three friendlies since reaching the World Cup finals over the summeragainst Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin, the last of which is Messi’s farewell match. They have won all three by a combined score of 14-0.
Uruguay will present a tougher test as they look to bounce back from a disappointing World Cup in which they exited the group stage without winning a game. That ended Marcelo Bielsa’s time in charge, with Diego Forlan taking over on an interim basis.
It started with a 3-1 loss to Japan, but then bounced back with emphatic wins over South Korea and India.
The former Manchester United striker acknowledges the depth of the rivalry between the two nations.
“As friendly as it is, there is a rivalry with a long history, and it will be a big challenge,” Forlan told a news conference on Wednesday. “These types of matches are difficult because of the level and prestige of the opponent. When they mentioned the possibility to me, I immediately said yes. It is important to test ourselves.”
The teams have met 194 times, with Argentina 91, Uruguay 58 and 45 draws.
Argentina have had the upper hand in recent years, winning to nil in four of their last five meetings with Uruguay, including a 1-0 win in March 2025. However, Uruguay won 2-0 in their last visit to La Bombonera.
Argentina v Uruguay team news
Scaloni has named a squad of 28 players for the friendlies. Lautaro Martínez is out due to injury, so Julián Álvarez will lead the line. Emiliano Martinez will start in goal if he can prove he has fully recovered from jaw surgery. Cristian Romero is absent.
For Uruguay, Darwin Núñez is in good form, with three goals in his last two international appearances. Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur and Ronald Araújo will provide a strong backbone, and Giorgian de Arrascaeta should start in the number 10 role.
Planned lineups for Argentina-Uruguay
Argentina: E Martínez; Giay, Balerdi, L Martínez, Tagliafico; Palacios, MacAllister, Fernández; Prestianni, Paz, Alvarez,
Uruguay: Fiermarin; Varela, R Araújo, Olivera, Piquerez; Valverde, Bentancur; Rodríguez, De Arrascaeta, M Araújo; Núñez
Statistics Argentina-Uruguay
- Argentina and Uruguay first met in 1902, making it one of the oldest international rivalries
- Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2 in the first World Cup final in 1930
- The teams have met 194 times, with Argentina 91 and Uruguay 58.
Where to watch Argentina v Uruguay
Argentina-Uruguay kicks off at 23:00 GMT (20:00 local time) on Friday 13 November at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. It’s not on UK TV.
In Argentina, the match is live on TyC Sports and Telefe, and in Uruguay on AUF TV and Antel TV. In the US, it’s on ViX.
Prediction Argentina-Uruguay
Even without Messi, Argentina have a stronger line-up and for some of the younger players, this is a great opportunity to step out of the shadows and establish themselves in the international set-up.
Prediction: Argentina 2-0 Uruguay
