Argentina vs. Honduras live score, updates, highlights and lineups: Messi goal in Miami

By | September 23, 2022
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Argentina are ready for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Albiceleste are using the final international match window before the showcase event for some simple fine-tuning. The first sparring partner comes in the form of Honduras on Friday night.

Lionel Messi will be in action against Los Catrachos at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami in the third matchup between the nations.

On paper, this shapes up as a mismatch. Argentina are ranked No. 3 in the world with a star-studded lineup on a 33-match unbeaten run dating to 2019. Honduras are ranked No. 80 and are in the process starting fresh after finishing last in North American World Cup qualifying.

Argentina will close out its September with a match against Jamaica at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., while Honduras will meet Guatemala on Tuesday in Houston.

Sporting News is following the Argentina vs. Honduras match live and providing live score updates and commentary.

MORE: Argentina’s schedule and opponents in World Cup Group C

Argentina vs. Honduras live score

  1H 2H Final
Argentina 2 0 —
Honduras 0 0 —

Goals:
ARG — Lautaro Martinez (Alejandro Papu Gomez) — 16th min.
ARG — Lionel Messi (penalty) — 47th+ min.

Argentina vs. Honduras live updates, highlights from Miami friendly

54th min.: SUB Argentina. Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada on for Papu Gomez. It comes after a chance for Honduras on a corner kick. The ball fell to Maldonado in the box, but he couldn’t get a shot off.

48th min.: What a play by Honduras center-back Denil Maldonado to poke the ball away from Rodrigo De Paul, who looked like he was free on goal. It was a desperate, but effective tackle from behind.

46th min.: SUBS. The second half is underway. Julian Alvarez is in for Lautaro Martinez, while Luis Palma comes on for Honduras winger Rigoberto Rivas.

Halftime: Argentina 2, Honduras 0

Halftime: It was all Argentina from the very start and they showed the swagger of a World Cup title challenger. They were not bothered by the fact that Honduras sat back. Instead, Argentina knocked it around and waited for their moment. Then Messi picked out Papu, who found Lautaro. Later, Messi knocked home a penalty. Not a bad half for Messi, who was man-marked.

We’ll see who Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni brings on in the second half. He’s probably seen enough from Papu Gomez, who definitely deserves to be on the plane to Qatar. He’s a game-changer.

47th+ min.: Goal Argentina! And Lionel Messi slots it home. It’s goal No. 87 in an Argentine jersey.

46th+ min.: Penalty for Argentina! Marcelo Santos had his hands all over Giovani Lo Celso, who went down. Messi’s up to take it. Santos should’ve seen a second yellow card, but the referee spared him.

43rd min.: And there’s the yellow card to Marcelo Santos of Honduras. He put in a late challenge on Argentina left back Nicolas Tagliafic, who found himself high up the field.

39th min.: Yellow card to Deybi Flores of Honduras. He rammed into Lionel Messi, who grabbed his face, but he’s fine.

It’s getting increasingly tense. Honduras right back Marcelo Santos also has a battle going on with Papu Gomez who’s positioned wide left. Both teams are unhappy with the challenges by the other.

37th min.: Trick play! From the Honduras goalkeeper! Luis Lopez pulls off two dribbling moves on Argentina forward Lautaro Martinez in his own box. He got lucky on the second one and gets away with it.

32nd min.: Honduras is managed by Argentine Diego Vazquez, who has words with Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso after he took out Honduras forward Romell Quioto near the sideline. Tensions are rising between the two teams.

27th min.: Lautaro Martinez is down. He’s in real pain and he’s grabbing his left shoulder after the Honduras ‘keeper came out to snag a set piece in the box. He nicked the Argentine forward with his knee. But Lautaro is back up.

21st min.: Messi shot on goal. It’s Messi’s turn to have a crack and Luis Lopez goes down low to stop his hard shot. Argentina are looking sharp.

16th min.: Goal Argentina! Papu Gomez makes a run in behind on the left and Messi find him, and the Sevilla man touches the ball toward the top of the six-yard box where Lautaro Martinez touches it home.

13th min.: Interesting to see Honduras midfielder Castellanos essentially following Lionel Messi all over the field. He’s listed as a midfielder but he’s Messi’s shadow in this game.

8th min.: Shot Argentina. It’s Rodrigo De Paul firing from distance and it misses wide right. But the Albiceleste have Honduras pinned in their own half, knocking the ball from side to side.

You’d imagine this is just the type of match Argentina can expect against Saudi Arabia in Group C at the World Cup.

3rd min.: Argentina chance! Papu Gomez steals the ball as Honduras try to play out of the back. He fires from the top of the box and nips the top of the bar.

1st min.: Argentina kick us off in their dark kits. Honduras in white.

5 mins from kickoff: Teams are lined up and ready for the anthems. “Argentina” chants emerge from the crowd, but it’s La “H” that goes first.

15 mins from kickoff: It’s pretty clear who is the home team at Hard Rock Stadium.

60 mins from kickoff: There’s 35-year-old Lionel Messi starting another game for Argentina. There is no stopping him from continuing this magical unbeaten run into the 2022 World Cup.

Argentina vs. Honduras lineups

There will be two new faces in the 4-3-3 that manager Lionel Scaloni typically employs. Geronimo Rulli will get a chance at goalkeeper, while Papu Gomez will play on the wing in lieu of veteran Angel Di Maria.

Nicolas Otamendi, Joaquin Correa, Marcos Acuna, and Paulo Dybala were left off the matchday roster and presumably will see time on Tuesday in New Jersey. Also, Tottenham center-back Cristian Romero only just received his visa to travel to the USA and is on his way to join the team in advance of the match against Jamaica. 

Argentina starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 12-Geronimo Rulli (GK) — 21-Nahuel Molina, 6-German Pezzella, 2-Lisandro Martinez, 3-Nicolas Tagliafico — 7-Rodrigo De Paul, 5-Leandro Paredes, 20-Giovani Lo Celso — 10-Lionel Messi (capt.), 22-Lautaro Martinez, 17-Alejandro ‘Papu Gomez,

Argentina subs (12): 23-Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez (GK), 1-Franco Armani (GK), 4-Gonzalo Montiel, 13-Nehuen Perez, 19-Facundo Medina, 18-Guido Rodriguez, 14-Enzo Fernandez, 15-Alexis Mac Allister, 8-Thiago Almada, 11-Angel Di Maria, 9-Julian Alvarez, 16-Angel Correa

Honduras manager Diego Vazquez summoned 23 players, including Rigoberto Rivas and Andy Najar, who haven’t been called up since September 2021. Absent from the list are big names like Alberth Elis, Antony “Choco” Lozano and Edwin Rodríguez. The first two are suffering from injury, while Rodriguez only recently signed with Aris in Greece and is taking time to settle in.

This is the first senior call-up for Clayvin Zuniga and Carlos “Chapetilla” Mejia. Marcelo Pereira was a late scratch. 

Honduras starting lineup (4-5-1, right to left): 22-Luis ‘Buba’ Lopez (GK) — 2-Marcelo Santos, 15-Denil Maldonado, 3-Carlos Melendez, 19-Omar Elvir — 14-Andy Najar, 5-Kervin Arriaga, 16-Hector Castellanos, 20-Deybi Flores, 11-Rigoberto Rivas — 12-Romell Quioto (capt.)

Honduras subs (12): 1-Edrick Menjivar (GK), 18-Maylor Nunez, 4-Getsel Montes, 23-Franklin Flores, 8-German Mejia, 10-Jhow Benavides, 13-Carlos Mejia, 7-Edwin Solano, 6-Joseph Rosales, 9-Clayvin Zuniga, 17-Luis Palma, 21-Bryan Rochez

MORE: Can Messi and Ronaldo face off at the World Cup in Qatar?

Argentina vs. Honduras TV channel, live stream

  USA Canada
Date Fri, Sept. 23 Fri, Sept. 23
Time 8 p.m. ET 8 p.m. ET
TV channel beIN Sports Xtra beIN Sports Xtra
Streaming fuboTV, beIN Connect fuboTV, beIN Connect

The match from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., will be carried in both the USA and Canada on beIN Sports Xtra, which streams on fuboTV (free trial) in both countries. There is also a stream on beIN Sports Connect.

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