Argentina national football team extended their impressive home record in Buenos Aires, remaining unbeaten since their defeat to Uruguay national football team in November 2023, following a 2-1 victory over Mauritania national football team at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando.

The hosts started brightly, immediately putting pressure on Mauritania from kick-off. Julián Álvarez tested goalkeeper Babacar Diop early on with a fourth-minute free-kick that required a strong save to keep the visitors level.

Argentina’s dominance eventually paid off in the 17th minute. Nahuel Molina delivered a precise ball into the box, where an unmarked Enzo Fernández calmly met it with a first-time finish to open the scoring.

The advantage was doubled shortly after the half-hour mark when Nico Paz showcased his quality, curling a superb free-kick from outside the area beyond Diop to make it 2-0.

While Argentina controlled much of the first half, Mauritania did manage a rare moment of threat in stoppage time, as Oumar Ngom attempted an ambitious effort that forced a comfortable save from Emiliano Martínez, marking the visitors’ first meaningful chance of the match.

Argentina national football team were firmly in control at half-time, prompting manager Lionel Scaloni to make several changes after the break, introducing substitutes including Rodrigo De Paul, Franco Mastantuono and Lionel Messi to freshen up the side.

Despite the alterations, Mauritania national football team created the first opportunity of the second half, as Djeidi Gassama failed to convert from close range, sending his effort wide.

Mauritania continued to show attacking intent and nearly equalised in the 65th minute when Emiliano Martínez was called into action, tipping a powerful strike from Aboubakary Koita over the bar with a fine save.

However, despite their star-studded lineup, Argentina struggled to maintain their attacking sharpness after the interval and failed to register a shot on target in the second half. Their lack of cutting edge was punished late on when Jordan Lefort scored in stoppage time to pull a goal back for Mauritania.

Argentina will return to action at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando as they continue preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026, where they aim to defend their title, with their next fixture coming against Zambia.

For Mauritania, the match marked the end of their World Cup qualification campaign, finishing outside the qualification places, but their performance against one of the world’s top-ranked sides will provide encouragement and valuable experience moving forward.