Argentina thrash Burkina Faso 7-0 as journalist condemns ‘organisational chaos’ before Messi farewell

Argentina beat Burkina Faso 7-0 in a friendly at the Monumental on Sunday, but the match was overshadowed by criticism of the circumstances in which the African side arrived in Buenos Aires.

Lionel Messi was absent for Argentina, who scored through Lautaro Martinez, Gianluca Prestianni, Nico Paz, Julian Alvarez, Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone. Burkina Faso’s Oumar Diakite also scored an own goal.

Burkina Faso fielded a young squad dominated by players aged under 23 after their delegation reached Buenos Aires only a few hours before kick-off. The limited preparation made an already difficult task even more challenging against the World Cup runners-up.

Messi is now expected to make his final appearance for Argentina against Benin at the Monumental on Tuesday, 6 October. That match is scheduled to serve as his official farewell to the national team.

French journalist Romain Molina criticised the arrangements surrounding the friendly, saying Burkina Faso were forced to rely on 13 players making their international debuts.

He said a logistical crisis had led several of the country’s established players to refuse to travel on the flight from Morocco. Molina described the young players who did make the journey as having embarked on the “adventure of their lives” by finding themselves facing the World Cup runners-up at the Monumental.

Some of them, he added, do not even have professional contracts.

The Burkina Faso delegation arrived in Argentina less than six hours before the game after a journey lasting about 12 hours. The young group was then sent into one of the most demanding matches possible, against an Argentina team featuring some of the leading players in world football.

“Whatever the result, this experience will remain etched in the memories of these players forever,” Molina wrote on X. “What happened warranted sanctions and resignations.”

Molina also criticised both the Argentine and Burkinabe football associations. He argued that supporters in Argentina had paid for tickets to see a strong African national team, rather than a young side that had only just arrived after travelling and included players who were not professionals.

He said those in charge at both federations should face “sanctions and resignations”, describing the situation as “organisational chaos”.

“I feel sorry for these young players,” Molina added. “What could they do against the World Cup runners-up in such circumstances?”