Argentina vs Australia live score, updates, lineups, and result as Lionel Messi faces Socceroos in friendly

By | June 15, 2023
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Argentina and Australia will do battle once again just six month after they met in the World Cup knockout rounds, as they clash in an international friendly in China.

The Socceroos will be looking to gain revenge after La Albiceleste ended their World Cup campaign with a 2-1 win in the round of 16, with Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez scoring the winning goals despite a late Australia fightback.

Of course, Lionel Messi and Argentina did go on to win the previously elusive World Cup, but coach Lionel Scaloni claimed the match was one of their most difficult of the tournament.

It will be a tall order for the Socceroos to claim the scalp of the world champions – Argentina haven’t lost in eight matches — but if there’s any situation where Australian sports teams thrive, it is when they are the underdog.

Sporting News is following Argentina vs. Australia live and providing score updates, commentary, and highlights as they happen.

MORE: Is Lionel Messi playing in Argentina vs Australia friendly clash?

Argentina vs Australia live score

  1st Half Goal scorers
Argentina 1 Messi 2′
Australia 0 —

Confirmed lineups

Argentina: (4-3-3, right to left): 23. Martinez — 26. Molina, 13. Romero, 19. Otamendi, 8. Acuna — 7. De Paul, 24. Enzo Fernández, 20. Mac Allister — 11. Di María, 10. Messi (c), 15. Gonzalez

Australia: (4-2-2-2, right to left): 1. Ryan (c) — 3. Atkinson, 19. Souttar, 4. Rowles, 5. Bos — 6. O’Neill, 20. Baccus — 7. Leckie, 14. McGree — 9. Maclaren, 15. Duke 

Argentina vs Australia live updates, highlights from international friendly

5 mins: Argentina are almost in again! Messi dinks a lovely ball for Alexis Mac Allister, but he puts too much elevation on his shot and it goes over the bar.

2 mins: Argentina lead! Little surprises that it’s Messi who gets the goal, as Argentina win possession off Matt Leckie, and Messi cuts inside the defenders and curls one into the top corner.

Watch in Australia

KICK OFF: We are underway, with Messi and Argentina kicking off

2 mins to kick off: The anthems are done, we are moments away from kick off in Beijing!

6 mins to kick off: The teams are in the tunnel, with Messi and Maty Ryan preparing to lead their countries out onto the pitch. Expecting quite the roar when Messi enters the field.

10 mins to kick off: The Socceroos are paying tribute to Rale Rasic, the coach that took them to their first World Cup in 1974. Rasic passed away last week at the age of 87.

20 mins to kick off: Whilst the sold out Workers Stadium in Beijing is supposedly a neutral venue, it feels like a home match for Argentina, with the stands slowly filling with blue and white shirts who will be cheering on Lionel Messi and his fellow countrymen.

30 mins to kick off: The world champions are in the building, Lionel Messi and co. are looking calm and relaxed before this one.

1hr to kick off: The lineups are in, Australia go with two strikers in Duke and Jamie Maclaren, whilst Argentina have only two changes from the side that beat the Socceroos at the World Cup, with Nicolas Gonzalez and Angel Di Maria replacing Julian Alvarez and Papu Gomez.

1 hr 15 mins to kick off: If anyone needs a refresher of what went down last time these two sides clashed, take a look at the highlights package below for some Messi magic, and heroics from Emiliano Martinez!

2 hours to kick off: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of the intriguing international friendly between world champions Argentina and Australia. The match — taking place at a sold out Workers Stadium in Beijing — is a rerun of the World Cup round of 16 clash between the two sides, where Argentina held off a late fightback from the Socceroos to claim a 2-1 win. Will Argentina and Lionel Messi continue their hot run of form, or will Australia pull off a massive upset and get revenge on the side that ended their World Cup?

Argentina vs Australia lineups, team news

It would be a surprise if Lionel Scaloni were to move away from 4-3-3 in this match.

Leonardo Balerdi and Facundo Medina have been named in the squad for this match, but they are unlikely to start ahead of Nicolas Otamendi and German Pezzella. Manchester United fans will be interested to see if Alejandro Garnacho is given a senior debut.

 Argentina projected (4-3-3, right to left): Martinez (GK) — Montiel, Pezzella, Otamendi, Acuna — Lo Celso, Fernandez, Mac Allister — Messi, Martinez, Gonzalez

Graham Arnold has confirmed that Jordan Bos will make his first start for the Socceroos at left back, with Aiden O’Neill and Keanu Baccus set to start in midfield.

Alessandro Circati could make his debut for the national team off the bench, whilst it’s highly likely that Mitch Duke will start up top and Harry Souttar and Kye Rowles will be the partnership at centre back.

Australia projected (4-1-4-1, right to left): Ryan (GK) — Atkinson, Rowles, Souttar, Bos — O’Neill — Borrello, Baccus, McGree, Leckie — Duke

MORE: What is Lionel Messi’s net worth?

Argentina vs Australia live stream, TV channel

  TV channel Streaming
USA — Paramount+, ViX+
UK Viaplay Sports 1 —
Australia 10 Paramount+, 10 Play, 10 Bold
Canada — —
Hong Kong MyTV Super —
India — —
Malaysia Astro SuperSport 3 Astro Go, sooka
New Zealand — —
Singapore StarHub —

USA: The match will be streamed in the USA on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo on Pluto.tv. A Spanish-language stream will be available to ViX+ subscribers.

Australia: The game will be televised on 10 and can be streamed on Paramount+, 10 Play and 10 Bold.

UK: The international friendly will be shown on Viaplay Sports 1.

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