Argentina rout Bolivia 4-0 to open post-Messi era as Scaloni vows to nurture Flores and Mastantuono
Argentina powered into the post-Lionel Messi era with a dominant 4-0 victory over Bolivia at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba on Wednesday — their first match since the captain announced his international retirement, and a night that showcased the young talents charged with filling the void.
Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a drilled finish before Nico Paz doubled the advantage by dinking the ball home. Gianluca Prestianni rattled the crossbar with a cross-shot before the interval, and captain Cristian Romero — who has succeeded Messi as the Albiceleste's skipper — and Flaco Lopez completed the scoring as the World Cup runners-up cruised home.
Flores and Mastantuono steal the limelight
With Messi's farewell still to come, it was the next generation who seized the spotlight in Córdoba. Nineteen-year-old Boca Juniors winger Leonel Flores made his senior Argentina debut as a substitute and lit up his late cameo, attempting and completing two dribbles, drawing a strong save from Bolivia goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra and creating one chance for a team-mate.
Fellow substitute Franco Mastantuono was equally impressive out wide, with the Real Madrid youngster matching Paz's game-high tally of three chances created. According to FotMob data, Mastantuono has carried that form into club football, with five league appearances and three goals for Real Madrid so far in the 2026-27 season.
Coach Lionel Scaloni is excited by the potential of Argentina's next generation, but insists both players must be handled with care if they are to blossom.
Scaloni: 'A talent who must be nurtured, just like Franco'
"We ask the young lads to produce what they do for their clubs," Scaloni said. "If they came here and didn't, that's when we'd be concerned."
On Flores — "Leo" to his coach — Scaloni called for patience and protection from all sides:
"Leo does it very well, and we have to protect him. We need to stay close to him and manage him properly. They know how to handle him at Boca. He is a talent who must be nurtured, just like Franco. That is the only way they will bear fruit."
"It would be incredible if he produced every match what he showed today in 10 minutes, but we must keep our calm," Scaloni added. "On our part, we will always take care of him."
'The energy was still the same' — Martinez
Martinez, who made seven appearances at the World Cup and scored three goals — including the stoppage-time winner that eliminated England in the semi-finals — believes the mood around the camp is as strong as ever, even with so many changes taking place.
"It's always a great feeling to put on this jersey," Martinez said. "It's a new process, it's time to work again today, and the experience of those of us who have already played in World Cups will help. We met up again and the energy was still the same."
Messi's farewell awaits before the real work begins
Argentina host Burkina Faso in their next friendly on Saturday, before welcoming Messi back into their ranks for one final time: the 2022 World Cup-winning captain will earn his 208th cap in a farewell game against Benin on October 6.
Messi arrives for the send-off in ominous club form, having registered 21 goals and 11 assists in 24 Major League Soccer appearances for Inter Miami in 2026, according to FotMob data.
The scale of the challenge was underlined by The Guardian, which described replacing Argentina's "superhero" as an impossible task in its preview of the new cycle published on September 26, recalling the 4-1 victory over Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in March 2025 — when Messi did not play — as a rare glimpse of life without him.
Wednesday's rout of Bolivia offered an emphatic early answer to that question. Keeping Flores and Mastantuono on the right path, Scaloni insists, is now the priority as a new era dawns for the Albiceleste.