The world champions Argentina are set to continue their build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with two international friendlies, both of which have sparked discussion regarding the level of opposition. On Saturday, in the early hours Bangladesh time, Lionel Scaloni’s side will take on Mauritania, followed by a second fixture on 1 April against Zambia.
From a rankings perspective, the gap is striking. Argentina currently sit second in the FIFA World Rankings, whereas Mauritania are placed around 115th and Zambia around 91st. The considerable disparity in strength has once again raised questions over why the reigning world champions frequently schedule friendlies against lower-ranked opposition.
This is not an isolated pattern. Since winning the 2022 World Cup, Argentina have rarely faced European heavyweights or any side ranked within the FIFA top 20 in friendly matches. Instead, their fixtures have largely come against emerging or mid-tier football nations. Despite criticism, the results have been overwhelmingly positive under head coach Lionel Scaloni.
Since taking charge in 2018, Scaloni has transformed Argentina into one of international football’s most consistent teams. Under his leadership, they have secured major honours including the World Cup, Copa América and Finalissima. In friendly matches alone, Argentina have played approximately 30 games under his tenure, winning 24, drawing 4 and losing just 2.
Those two defeats came early in his reign against Brazil and Venezuela. Since then, Argentina have gone on a prolonged unbeaten run in friendlies, demonstrating remarkable consistency and resilience.
Their dominance is further reflected in a series of emphatic victories over the past few years.
Argentina recent friendly results
| Year | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Nicaragua | 5–1 win |
| 2023 | Estonia | 5–0 win |
| 2023 | Curacao | 7–0 win |
| 2023 | United Arab Emirates | 5–0 win |
| 2024 | Puerto Rico | 6–0 win |
| 2025 | Angola | Win |
These results underline Argentina’s ability to dominate matches against lower-ranked opposition, often by significant margins. However, critics argue that such fixtures provide limited competitive challenge and therefore offer an incomplete measure of the team’s true level.
French sports newspaper L’Équipe has previously noted that since their World Cup triumph, Argentina have not faced any European sides or top-20 ranked opponents in friendly football, unlike other elite nations. For instance, Brazil have regularly tested themselves against higher-ranked teams, while Colombia have also engaged in a number of matches against top-tier opposition.
In contrast, Argentina’s recent schedule has included fixtures against teams such as El Salvador, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama and Indonesia. One of their few moderately challenging friendlies came in 2023 against Australia, then ranked 29th in the world, which Argentina won 2–0.
Despite the debate surrounding opponent selection, Argentina’s results remain formidable. They have won all of their last 11 matches across competitions outside World Cup qualifiers, reinforcing their status as one of the most dominant international sides in world football. Under Scaloni, the focus appears to remain on tactical cohesion, squad rotation and maintaining momentum rather than consistently seeking high-risk, high-intensity friendlies against elite opposition.