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Messi Leads Argentina's World Cup Champions in Angola Friendly
8 Nov
Summary
- Messi to captain Argentina in November 14 friendly against Angola
- Argentina squad includes 3 uncapped players: Prestianni, Panichelli, Perrone
- Messi becomes international assists leader, nears 400 career assists
On November 14, 2025, Lionel Messi will captain the Argentina national team in a friendly match against Angola in Luanda. Manager Lionel Scaloni has named a 24-man squad that includes three uncapped players: Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni, Strasbourg forward Joaquin Panichelli, and Como midfielder Maximo Perrone.
The reigning World Cup and Copa America champions will be without goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who is recovering from a calf injury. However, Messi will headline an attack that also features Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez.
Last month, Messi became the player with the most assists in men's international football, surpassing Neymar and Landon Donovan. His pair of assists took his international tally to 60, and he is now just three assists short of 400 across his professional career. Messi also won the 2025 MLS Golden Boot, scoring 29 goals to become the league's leading scorer in his second full season with Inter Miami.
This friendly will be one of the last chances for Scaloni to experiment with this squad before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be played in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
