Argentina continued their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Honduras on Sunday, extending their positive momentum ahead of the tournament in North America.
Goals from Lautaro Martínez and Giuliano Simeone secured the win for Lionel Scaloni’s side, who delivered another composed performance as they edge closer to the defence of the title they won in Qatar four years ago.
Martínez opened the scoring to give the reigning world champions control before Simeone added a second to ensure Argentina completed a routine victory.
While the result itself was encouraging, much of the attention afterwards focused on the fitness of several players within the squad. Scaloni revealed that not all members of his World Cup roster are currently at full fitness, though he moved to reassure supporters that both Nico Paz and Julián Álvarez are available and not facing significant issues.
The win comes during a crucial stage of Argentina’s preparations, with the South Americans seeking to fine-tune their squad before the start of their World Cup campaign.
Argentina have already suffered one setback after defender Leonardo Balerdi was ruled out of the tournament with a muscle injury, forcing the coaching staff to consider potential replacements. However, Sunday’s performance demonstrated the depth available to Scaloni as he looks to guide his side through another major tournament.
Led by captain Lionel Messi, Argentina enter the competition among the favourites to challenge for the trophy once again. Their squad retains much of the core that helped secure the country’s third World Cup title and has continued to produce consistent results since that triumph.
The Albiceleste will now conclude their pre-tournament schedule with a final friendly against Iceland on Tuesday before heading into Group J action.
There, they will face Algeria, Austria and Jordan in a group many observers expect them to top. However, both Algeria and Austria are viewed as capable challengers, ensuring Argentina will need to be at their best from the outset.
For now, Sunday’s victory over Honduras provides another boost to confidence as Scaloni’s men continue their preparations for what they hope will be a successful defence of their world crown.
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