Argentina’s Friendly Strategy Examined

As part of their build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina are set to play two international friendly matches against Mauritania and Zambia. The fixtures will take place on Saturday (early hours Bangladesh time) and on 1 April respectively, with Lionel Scaloni’s side acting as the nominal home team. On paper, both opponents are significantly lower-ranked, underlining a continuing pattern in Argentina’s recent international scheduling.

According to the latest FIFA rankings, Argentina sit second in the world, while Mauritania are placed 115th and Zambia 91st. This stark disparity has once again raised questions over the competitiveness of Argentina’s friendly fixtures, particularly in the post-2022 World Cup era.

Since lifting the World Cup in Qatar, Argentina have not faced a European opponent in a friendly match, nor have they played any team currently ranked inside FIFA’s top 20. Instead, their fixtures have largely been arranged against nations from outside the traditional elite of international football.

Under head coach Lionel Scaloni, however, Argentina’s results have been nothing short of remarkable. Since taking charge in 2018, Scaloni has overseen a period of sustained success, including triumphs at the FIFA World Cup, Copa América and the Finalissima. His influence has also extended into friendly fixtures, where Argentina have built an impressive record.

Scaloni Era Friendly Record

Both defeats came early in Scaloni’s tenure—against Brazil in October 2018 (1–0) and Venezuela in March 2019 (3–1). Since that period, Argentina have embarked on a prolonged unbeaten run in friendly football, highlighting the consistency and stability instilled within the squad.

Indeed, following the loss to Venezuela, Argentina went on to avoid defeat in 23 consecutive friendly matches, winning 15 of them in succession at one stage. Their most recent continuation of this strong form came with a victory over Angola on 14 November 2025.

During this period, Argentina have recorded several emphatic wins, often by wide margins. Notable results include victories over Nicaragua (5–1), Ecuador (6–1), Estonia (5–0), Curaçao (7–0), the United Arab Emirates (5–0) and Puerto Rico (6–0). While these scorelines underline Argentina’s attacking strength, critics argue that many of these opponents provided limited resistance.

French sports newspaper L’Équipe has questioned Argentina’s approach to friendly scheduling, suggesting that since the 2022 World Cup triumph, they have not faced top-tier European opposition or any side ranked in the world’s top 20. The publication contrasted Argentina’s fixture list with that of Brazil, who have reportedly played around ten matches against high-calibre opposition in the same period, while Colombia have faced nearly nine top-level teams.

Recent Friendly Opponents

Among these, the 2–0 victory over Australia in June 2023 stands out as Argentina’s most challenging friendly in recent years, given Australia’s then ranking of 29th in the world.

Despite external criticism, Argentina’s results remain outstanding. They have won all of their last 11 matches outside World Cup qualifying, reinforcing their second-place position in the FIFA rankings and maintaining strong momentum ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Whether their current approach adequately prepares them for elite competition, however, remains a subject of ongoing debate in international football circles.