Argentina lose 1-2 to Uruguay in first match since Messi retired

Argentina's first match since Lionel Messi retired from international football ended in a 1-2 defeat to Uruguay on Saturday 14 November 2026. Uruguay struck in the 48th and 54th minutes, and Julián Álvarez's goal in the 73rd minute was the only reply.

What the numbers say

The goal timings tell the story of this friendly. An own goal from L. Balerdi in the 48th minute put Uruguay ahead, and M. Araujo added a second in the 54th minute.

Argentina responded through Julián Álvarez in the 73rd minute, but no equaliser followed.

The stat that jumps out is possession: Argentina had 72% of the ball. In Nito's opinion, that looks like a side that had plenty of the ball without turning enough of it into goals, while Uruguay made their moments count. You can dig into the full breakdown on our Argentina vs Uruguay match page.

Argentina's recent form

Argentina's last five games read L W W W L. The run began with a 0-1 defeat to Spain, followed by clean-sheet wins over Bolivia (4-0), Burkina Faso (7-0) and Benin (3-0), before this 1-2 loss to Uruguay.

So the defeat ends a winning streak rather than extending a slump. As this was a friendly, there is no league table to shift, but it does put a loss on the record in a match that carried extra attention.

The wider context

Lionel Messi retired from international football in early October, which made this friendly against Uruguay Argentina's first match since his retirement.

On the other side, the result was Uruguay's third win under new coach Diego Forlán. Nito thinks that is a tidy early return for a coach still settling into the job, though it is opinion rather than a verdict.

For Argentina, the question now is how quickly the goals arrive in the matches after this one. Julián Álvarez found the net here, and Nito will be watching whether the chances created from that much possession start to convert.

What's next for Argentina

Argentina face Costa Rica next in another World: Friendly International, with kick-off on 18/11/2026. It is a chance to respond to the Uruguay defeat and get the form line moving again.

You can follow the build-up on our Argentina vs Costa Rica match page, and keep track of every result on the Argentina team page.

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