Messi and Lautaro Martínez: Argentina's dream duo

World champions Argentina concluded their 2025 season with a 2-0 friendly victory over Angola in Luanda on Friday. The match, hosted at the Estádio 11 de Novembro, was the Albiceleste's final game of the year and part of Angola's 50th independence anniversary celebrations.

An aggressive Angolan side initially unsettled Lionel Scaloni's team, who experimented with their lineup. The breakthrough came in the 43rd minute when Lionel Messi assisted Lautaro Martínez, who skillfully scored.

In the second half, Angola pressed for an equalizer, but Argentina's defense, with Gerónimo Rulli in goal, held firm. Martínez then turned provider in the 81st minute, setting up Messi to seal the 2-0 win. Scaloni used the occasion to give playing time to younger talents like Gianluca Prestianni and Joaquín Panichelli, rotating his squad with an eye on the 2026 World Cup.