Zambia were outclassed 5-0 by Lionel Messi led Argentina team in an international friendly at La Bombonera on Tuesday night, as the African side endured a difficult World Cup send-off test.
Facing the reigning world champions, Zambia were immediately put under pressure and fell behind inside four minutes. Messi orchestrated the move, controlling a lofted pass before setting up Julian Alvarez to open the scoring.
Despite the early setback, Zambia attempted to stay compact and disciplined, but Argentina’s movement and technical quality continued to stretch their defence. Messi doubled the lead just before half-time, combining with Alexis Mac Allister before finishing past goalkeeper Willard Mwanza.
The second half brought little relief for the visitors. Argentina extended their advantage from the penalty spot after a foul involving Albert Kangwanda, with Nicolas Otamendi converting to make it 3-0.
Zambia’s difficulties were compounded when an own goal from Dominic Chanda pushed the score to 4-0 in the 68th minute, before Valentin Barco added a fifth late on.
For Zambia, the match exposed the gap in quality against one of the world’s elite sides. While they showed moments of resilience, they struggled to cope with Argentina’s intensity and precision in the final third.
The defeat will offer valuable lessons for the Chipolopolo as they continue to rebuild and prepare for future international competitions. Facing a team of Argentina’s calibre provided a stern test, highlighting areas that require improvement, particularly in defensive organisation and game management.
Meanwhile, Argentina used the fixture to fine-tune preparations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they will face Algeria, Austria and Jordan in Group J.
For Zambia, attention now turns to regrouping after a challenging outing, with the experience likely to serve as a reference point as they aim to close the gap with top-tier opposition.
