Argentina thrashed Burkina Faso 7-0 in a friendly at the Estadio Monumental, in a match overshadowed by travel difficulties that left the visitors fielding an inexperienced side.
Burkina Faso arrived in Buenos Aires just five hours before kick-off after a private flight from Morocco was cancelled because of a technical failure.
Match organisers said several senior players then declined to travel, citing fatigue, leaving the African side with a young squad following an 11-hour flight.
Lautaro Martinez, Gianluca Prestianni, Nico Paz, Julian Alvarez, Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone were all on target for Argentina, while Moumoune Diallo scored an own goal.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni praised Burkina Faso for making the trip despite the circumstances.
“What the Burkina Faso national team has done is truly commendable; it elevates football,” Scaloni said. “We try to respect them and are very grateful that they were able to come.”
The friendly was played without Lionel Messi, who is preparing for Tuesday’s match against Benin, which is expected to mark the end of his 21-year international career.
The 39-year-old announced his retirement from Argentina duty in August. He has scored 125 goals in 207 appearances and captained the country to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022.
