Argentina opened its World Cup tour with a solid 2-0 win over Honduras
Scaloni's team beat Honduras 2-0 in College Station with goals from Lautaro Martínez (penalty) and Giuliano Simeone, in the opening match of their 2026 World Cup preparation tour.
International friendly · Kyle Field, College Station (Texas) · Argentina 2-0 Honduras
The Argentina national team got its 2026 World Cup campaign underway with a comfortable, trouble-free 2-0 win over Honduras, in the first friendly of its preparation tour in the United States. In a packed Kyle Field against the backdrop of the “Road to 26” cycle, Lionel Scaloni's side showed authority, control and squad depth.
The dominance was complete from start to finish: 72% possession, 20 shots (8 on target) against just 4, and 773 passes with 95% accuracy. Honduras, organized but lacking attacking threat, failed to put a shot on target in the 90 minutes and stayed in the game thanks to 6 saves from Edrick Menjívar.
The deadlock was broken in the 37th minute: a penalty for Argentina and a flawless finish from Lautaro Martínez, who converted to make it 1-0. The Inter striker was the standout performer of the night and also left his mark on the second goal: in the 54’, after a team move, he set up Giuliano Simeone, who finished for the 2-0 that put the result beyond doubt.
Scaloni took advantage of the friendly to rotate the squad and give minutes to the alternatives, with four debutants for the senior team — including Nicolás Capaldo — as the notable detail in a night focused on the bigger picture: building rhythm ahead of the World Cup. On the Honduran side, the emotional boost came from the debut of Keyrol Figueroa.
With an alternate lineup (Musso; Giay, Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez, Tagliafico; Lo Celso, Barco, Palacios; G. Simeone, Lautaro Martínez and Almada), Argentina produced a calm first snapshot of its preparation. Next stop on the tour: keep fine-tuning names and automatisms before the World Cup debut.
Summary
- Goals: 37’ Lautaro Martínez (penalty) and 54’ Giuliano Simeone (assist from Lautaro Martínez).
- Booked: Barco, L. Martínez, Medina and Capaldo (ARG); Maldonado (HON).
- Referee: Yoshito Nakagawa (Japan).
- Stadium: Kyle Field, College Station.
