Argentina Thrash Burkina Faso 7-0 in Record Victory Over African Opposition
By Fact Harbour News
Argentina produced a dominant performance in Buenos Aires on Saturday, defeating Burkina Faso 7-0 in an international friendly and recording their biggest victory against an African national team.
The world champions were in control from the opening minutes at the Monumental Stadium, with six different Argentine players finding the net and Burkina Faso also conceding an own goal.
Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring in the fourth minute after his initial penalty was saved. The Argentine forward reacted quickly to the rebound to give Lionel Scaloni’s side an early advantage.
Burkina Faso’s difficult afternoon continued when defender Moumoune Diallo inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
Gianluca Prestianni then added Argentina’s third before Nico Paz and Julián Álvarez further extended the lead. Argentina went into the interval with a commanding 5-0 advantage.
The South Americans maintained their attacking momentum after the restart, with Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone completing the seven-goal rout.
The match was also significant for several Argentine players who scored their first goals at senior international level. Prestianni, Mastantuono and Paz all got on the scoresheet as Argentina demonstrated the depth available to Scaloni.
The victory surpassed Argentina’s previous biggest win against an African opponent, a 5-0 friendly success over Zambia earlier in 2026.
Burkina Faso’s preparations for the fixture were reportedly disrupted by travel problems. The team arrived in Buenos Aires only a few hours before kick-off after a private flight from Morocco was cancelled because of technical difficulties.
The West African side also travelled without some experienced players, with several senior members of the squad reportedly opting not to make the trip because of fatigue.
Despite the circumstances surrounding Burkina Faso’s preparations, Argentina’s emphatic victory underlined the gulf between the two sides on the night.
Scaloni reportedly acknowledged the difficulties faced by Burkina Faso in getting to Argentina and praised the visitors for making the fixture possible.
Argentina were without captain Lionel Messi for the match. The veteran forward arrived in the country on Friday and is expected to feature when Argentina face Benin at the Monumental Stadium on Tuesday, October 6.
The fixture against Benin is expected to attract considerable attention as Messi prepares for what has been reported as a farewell appearance for the national team after more than two decades of international football.
For Argentina, however, the immediate focus will be on maintaining their momentum and assessing emerging players ahead of future international commitments.
The 7-0 result gives Scaloni another opportunity to evaluate his squad, while the performances of younger players such as Prestianni, Paz and Mastantuono could provide further options for the reigning world champions.
