Argentina will look to continue preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they face Honduras in an international friendly in Texas on Saturday.
FOLLOW THE MATCH LIVE HERE: Argentina vs Honduras LIVE SCORE — ARG v HON real-time updates
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni decided to go with Lautaro Martinez at number 9 in the warm-up match, with the striker coming into the match having won the Serie A title with Inter Milan.
However, the starting line-up does not include the country’s record scorer and legendary captain Lionel Messi.
Why doesn’t Lionel Messi start in Argentina versus Honduras?
Lionel Messi, aged 38, is recovering from a muscle injury and is on course to play in his sixth FIFA World Cup. However, he will start from the bench, as Scaloni has chosen to give him limited playing time.
«Leo is doing well; he has already trained with the group for part of the session, and that is significant. He is no longer training separately,» Scaloni said at a news conference in the United States.
«He’s improving tremendously and could even play a few minutes in one of the (warm-up) games. We’ll see if it’s this one or the next, but he’s much better and that gives us peace of mind.»
Published on June 7, 2026
