Defending Copa America champions Argentina contest their final tune-up friendly against FIFA’s 108th-ranked Guatemala on Friday.
It’s the final 90 minutes for Lionel Messi and company to prepare for the summer tournament, established as heavy favorites to repeat as title winners. Argentina won the 2021 Copa America, securing Messi’s first senior international trophy, before following that up a year later with a World Cup crown in Qatar.
As one of the strongest international sides in the world over the past few years, it will take a Herculean effort by the rest of the field to knock them from their perch.
Guatemala, therefore, face a monumental challenge as they take on the reigning world and South American champions days after securing a 3-0 win over the British Virgin Islands in the early rounds of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
The Sporting News is following the Argentina vs. Guatemala match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
Argentina vs. Guatemala live score
| Score (1H) | Goal scorers | |
| Argentina | 1 | Messi (12′) |
| Guatemala | 1 | L. Martinez (5′, OG) |
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Location: FedEx Field (Landover, MD)
Starting lineups:
Argentina (4-4-2 diamond, right to left): 23. E. Martinez (GK) — 26. Molina, 19. Otamendi, 25. L. Martinez, 15. N. Gonzalez — 24. E. Fernandez, 29. Carboni, 20. Mac Allister, 16. Lo Celso — 10. Messi, 22. L. Martinez.
Guatemala (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Hagen (GK) — 16. Morales, 4. Pinto, 3. Samayoa, 2. Ardon — 17. Castellanos, 5. M. Dominguez, 22. Franco — 18. Santis, 9. Rubin, 23. Cardoza.
Argentina vs. Guatemala live updates, highlights from friendly
Argentina vs. Guatemala: First Half
15th min: Chance, Guatemala! The underdogs nearly go in front again, as Emi Martinez nearly makes a possessional mistake of his own! He passes it right to Castellanos at the top of the penalty area, but on the Guatemala midfielder’s attempt to chip it back over a scrambling Dibu, he sends it just inches over the crossbar!
How many errors are we going to see tonight in possession??
12th min: GOAL! ARGENTINA! Lionel Messi has punished an awful pass out of the back by the Guatemala goalkeeper, and Argentina are back level! It’s a truly hideous pass from Nicolas Hagen, attempting to swing possession side-to-side by hitting it first-time but completely scuffing the ball, sending it right to the Argentine superstar 8 yards from goal.
It’s the easiest goal Messi will ever score in his career! Guatemala will be furious for seeing their shock lead squandered so tragically!
The easiest goal Leo Messi will ever score 🙃
Watch Argentina vs. Guatemala on Max or truTV 📺 pic.twitter.com/NbQokeYY9F
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 15, 2024
4th min: GOAL! GUATEMALA! ARGENTINA HAVE CONCEDED INSIDE THE OPENING FIVE MINUTES! Guatemala work their first possession forward and win a free-kick on a foul by Nicolas Otamendi shaded to the left of the penalty area. The delivery is brilliantly flicked on goal by Rubio Rubin, and while it’s saved by Emi Martinez, the rebound is deflected by Lisandro Martinez into his own net!
It appears that Martinez and Otamendi both had an opportunity to clear the ball but were too slow. A stunning turn of events inside the opening five minutes!
Guatemala take a shock lead over Argentina thanks to an own goal 😬
Watch Argentina vs. Guatemala on Max or truTV 📺 pic.twitter.com/5UKDsYXxYo
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 15, 2024
Kickoff: They’re under way outside the nation’s capital! How sharp will Argentina look in their final match before the 2024 Copa America begins? It’s Argentina’s first attempt to defend a continental title in nearly 30 years, and they’ll do so on U.S. soil.
Argentina vs. Guatemala: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more
15 mins to kickoff: It will be interesting to see how many minutes Lionel Messi plays tonight. He’s struggled through a host of muscle injuries over the last year, largely from overuse, and Lionel Scaloni will be very careful with him in a meaningless friendly before the tournament begins.
Seeing him come off at halftime would be reasonable, and anything more than an hour on the pitch would be very surprising and quite frankly cavalier from the Argentina head man.
30 mins to kickoff: The Guatemala lineup is now available, and it looks as if they’ll be without Derby County winger Nathan Mendez-Laing who has chosen to take an early summer break before returning to club action. DC United full-back Aaron Herrera is also absent, missing out due to injury.
45 mins to kickoff: It’s a packed house at FedEx Field tonight, and the fans are enjoying watching Argentina warm up!
👋🏻 pic.twitter.com/nL8PE2bI8j
— Messi Xtra (@M30Xtra) June 14, 2024
1 hour to kickoff: The Argentina lineup is in, and just as has been reported, Lionel Messi starts alongside Lautaro Martinez up front, with the young Valentin Carboni in midfield. Oddly, Nico Gonzalez is starting as a left-back instead of his usual position as left winger, with Lionel Scaloni trialing a 4-4-2 diamond.
Nicolas Otamendi starts in defense, but will likely be a backup at Copa America since he is reportedly off to the Olympics as an overage player after the tournament, and those 36-year-old legs almost surely can’t see him play regular minutes at both competitions.
1 hour 15 mins to kickoff: There is a report by, you guessed it, Gaston Edul, that states 19-year-old playmaker Valentin Carboni could get a significant look tonight, potential from the start. Carboni is an Inter Milan youth product but was loaned Monza last season where he scored two goals and assisted four in around 1,150 minutes of Serie A action.
Carboni has already made his senior international debut for Argentina back in a March friendly against Costa Rica, coming off the bench for eight minutes, but could get a much longer look tonight. It could be a chance not only to see what Carboni can bring to the national team, but also get him in the shop window ahead of a potential transfer this summer.
#Inter has made the choice to sell Valentín Carboni, rather than to sell a ‘big’ player. Fiorentina and some Premier League clubs are interested in the 19-year-old, who is valued at €30M by #Inter. 🇦🇷
[via @Gazzetta_it] pic.twitter.com/9BPpFUh82E
— Inter Xtra (@Inter_Xtra) June 13, 2024
1 hour 30 mins to kickoff: With Lionel Scaloni looking to decide between Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez at striker for the Copa America run, it seems like the Inter Man will start tonight. Lautaro has struggled mightily in big games for the national team over his career, but coming off a Scudetto win in Italy while winning the Golden Boot in the process, he could be given the nod.
Alvarez will be right on his heels though, and should play a significant role in this tournament whether he’s a regular starter or not. According to a report by in-the-know reporter Gaston Edul, there isn’t room in the lineup for both, so Scaloni will be choosing between one or the each game.
🚨 Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Alexis Mac Allister and Nicolás González will start for Argentina vs. Guatemala. Via @gastonedul. 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/oqa2BTYV20
— Mundo Albiceleste ⭐🌟⭐🇦🇷 (@MundoAlbicelest) June 14, 2024
1 hour 45 mins to kickoff: Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni’s first match in charge of the Albiceleste came against Guatemala in 2018, where he steered his side to a 3-0 victory.
UN VIEJO CONOCIDO 🤝🇬🇹
Argentina enfrentará esta noche a Guatemala, selección que en 2018 fue testigo del debut de Lionel Scaloni como DT.
🇦🇷 Aquella noche fue triunfo 3-0 con goles del Pity Martínez, Gio Lo Celso y Giovanni Simeone pic.twitter.com/0jS8S18aWL
— TNT Sports Argentina (@TNTSportsAR) June 14, 2024
2 hours to kickoff: Lionel Messi came off the bench in the previous tune-up friendly against Ecuador, so the 36-year-old’s status for this game remains unclear. Lionel Scaloni could choose to start him for a longer run-out to get him ready, or choose to rest him on the idea that Messi will be ready no matter how much he plays in the warm-ups.
It appears he has chosen the former, as Argentine journalist Gaston Edul reports that Messi will start the match. Still, we won’t have that confirmed until lineups are released.
Leo Messi va a ser titular contra Guatemala. pic.twitter.com/AmbR7JZ6aF
— Gastón Edul (@gastonedul) June 13, 2024
Argentina vs. Guatemala pre-match facts, figures
- These two nations have met twice previously, both in friendlies, with Argentina winning the two games by a combined 7-0 score. Lionel Messi took part in the first meeting back in 2013, scoring a hat-trick en route to a 4-0 Argentina win.
- Guatemala have had a triple-digit FIFA ranking since falling below the 100-mark in July of 2017. They have won seven of their last 12 competitive matches in CONCACAF play since the start of 2023, but have been less successful in friendlies, mostly against stronger competition, winning just one of their 11 friendlies in that same span, drawing five and losing five.
- Since Lionel Messi made his international debut in August of 2005, the lowest-ranked opponent to beat Argentina was 67th-ranked Poland back in June of 2011, a game in which Messi did not play. The lowest-ranked opponent to beat Argentina with Messi on the field was 56th-ranked Bolivia who shocked Argentina with a 6-1 home win in April of 2009.
Argentina vs. Guatemala lineups, team news, starting 11
Argentina’s first pre-Copa America friendly against Ecuador saw a few first-choice regulars start on the bench, including Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernandez, and Nico Gonzalez. It would track that Fernandez and Gonzalez would see the starting lineup here as they ramp up for the Copa, but it’s unclear how much they will look to save Messi for the tournament itself.
Tenured center-back Nicolas Otamendi starts today, but will play second-fiddle at the Copa America behind Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez, since he’s already been tabbed as an overage player for Olympic duty later this summer, and being a regular starter at both tournaments would be a massive load on the 36-year-old defender.
Argentina starting lineup (4-4-2 diamond): E. Martinez (GK) — Molina, Otamendi, L. Martinez, N. Gonzalez — E. Fernandez, Carboni, Mac Allister, Lo Celso — Messi, L. Martinez.
Argentina subs (15): Armani (GK), Rulli (GK), Romero, Montiel, Quarta, Tagliafico, Palacios, G. Rodriguez, Paredes, De Paul, Barco, Garnacho, Correa, Di Maria, J. Alvarez.
It’s not clear how much head coach Luis Fernando Tena will rotate his side for this friendly following a World Cup qualifying victory over British Virgin Islands last week.
American fans will recognize forward Rubio Rubin, a U.S. youth international born in Oregon who collected seven USMNT caps in 2018, all coming in international friendlies which did not cap-tie him to the United States. He would eventually make a one-time switch to Guatemala, earning 20 caps thus far since his debut in 2022.
Guatemala goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen is contracted to the Columbus Crew, having signed this past offseason, but has not seen a start yet, stuck behind first-choice regular Patrick Schulte.
Guatemala starting lineup (4-3-3): Hagen (GK) — Morales, Pinto, Samayoa, Ardon — Castellanos, Dominguez, Franco — Santis, Rubin, Cardoza.
Guatemala subs (12): Navarro (GK), Moscoso (GK), Yanes, Ruiz, Escobar, Galindo, Altan, Saravia, Mejia, Lom, E. Garcia, J. Martinez.
Argentina vs. Guatemala live stream, TV channel in USA
- Date: Saturday, Jun. 14, 2024
- Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
- TV Channel:
- English: truTV
- Spanish: Fox Deportes
- Streaming:
- English: Sling, Max
- Spanish: Fubo, Fox Sports GO
In the United States, this international friendly between Argentina and Guatemala will be televised in English on truTV, which can be found streaming on Sling as well as on Turner’s in-house platform Max.
There is also a Spanish-language broadcast on Fox Deportes, which can be accessed via streaming on Fubo, who are offering a free trial for new users.
Unfortunately for fans around the globe, this match will not be accessible to watch in many other territories, including Australia, Canada, the UK, or India, as no rights-holders have been secured in those territories.
