Lionel Messi put on another masterful display, scoring his first goal on African soil, as Argentina cruised to a 2-0 victory over Angola in Luanda on Friday.
The friendly, organized to commemorate 50 years of Angolan independence, saw the world champions dominate in front of a packed Estadio Nacional 11 de Novembro, where tickets were priced at just $1. The standout feature of Argentina’s performance was the seamless partnership between Messi and Lautaro Martínez.
Argentina broke the deadlock just before halftime. Messi, finding space on the right, threaded a precise, defence-splitting pass to Martínez, who finished cleanly for his 36th international goal, giving Argentina a deserved 1–0 lead.
The duo combined once more late in the game, this time with Martínez assisting Messi. Seven minutes from time, the Inter forward slid the ball to Messi inside the box, and the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner calmly slotted a low finish into the far corner, marking his 115th goal for Argentina. Both stars were substituted shortly after, having already secured the win.
The match reportedly came with a $12 million appearance fee for Argentina and served as their only fixture of the international window, providing Lionel Scaloni’s squad a low-intensity preparation. For Angola, the game was a valuable test ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, where they will face Egypt, South Africa, and Zimbabwe in a challenging group.
While Argentina were heavy favourites — ranked second in the world, 87 places above Angola — the fixture carried symbolic importance for the hosts. For Argentina, it followed a dominant 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in which they topped South America with 38 points from 18 matches.
Angola, meanwhile, continue their pursuit of a return to the global stage. Their sole World Cup appearance came in 2006, and despite winning only two matches in the 2026 qualifiers, they fell short this time. Still, the evening was a celebration of football, and Messi once again reminded fans why he is considered one of the game’s all-time greats.
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
