Argentina stroll past Honduras in Texas

Argentina recorded a routine 2‑0 win over Honduras in Texas, maintaining control throughout their penultimate World Cup warm‑up. Lionel Messi stayed on the bench as he continues recovering from a hamstring injury sustained on 24 May, with Lionel Scaloni choosing caution ahead of the group stage. 

The match finally sparked on 37 minutes when Nicolás Tagliafico was fouled by Cristopher Meléndez, allowing Lautaro Martínez to bury a low penalty to the goalkeeper’s left. Martínez remained central to Argentina’s threat and created the second goal on 54 minutes, producing a smart backheel that set up Atlético Madrid striker Giovanni Simeone to finish confidently. 

Giovani Lo Celso struck the bar with a curling effort, while Tomás Aranda forced a strong save after the interval. Honduras offered little resistance and rarely advanced beyond midfield as Argentina dictated the pace. 

Scaloni indicated Messi may feature briefly against Iceland before Argentina begin their World Cup campaign against Algeria on 17 June.