Preview: Argentina vs. Guatemala – prediction, team news, lineups – Sports Mole
Argentina will conclude their preparations for the upcoming Copa America with a friendly against Guatemala at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on Friday night.
Lionel Scaloni‘s team will enter the contest off the back of a 1-0 win over Ecuador, while Guatemala recorded a 3-0 victory over British Virgin Islands in a 2026 World Cup qualifier last time out.
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Argentina played the first of their two warm-up matches for the Copa America on June 9, recording a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in Chicago, with Angel Di Maria netting the only goal of the contest in the 40th minute.
The result was not too important, but it did make it four straight victories for the South American nation, following on from their friendly successes over El Salvador and Costa Rica back in March, while they recorded a 1-0 win over Brazil in their last 2026 World Cup qualifier in November 2023.
Scaloni’s team are also now on a run of 11 straight friendly wins, while they have not lost a non-competitive fixture for more than five years, and it would be a huge surprise to see that run end on Friday night.
Argentina, who famously won the 2022 World Cup, will begin their 2024 Copa America campaign against Canada on June 20, while they will also take on Chile and Peru in the group stage of the tournament.
The White and Sky Blues are the favourites to win what would be a 16th Copa America crown, which would take them ahead of Uruguay in the all-time list, and they are also the holders, having recorded a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the final of the 2021 competition.
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Guatemala, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of two huge wins, overcoming Dominica 6-0 and British Virgin Islands 3-0 in their opening 2026 World Cup Group E fixtures.
Los Chapines are top of the section on six points, and they will bring a four-game unbeaten run into this match, having also drawn with Venezuela and Nicaragua in friendlies earlier this year.
Luis Fernando Tena‘s side are unbeaten since a 2-0 friendly loss to Ecuador on March 22, and they now have two non-competitive fixtures in the diary against Argentina and El Salvador, before returning to action in the CONCACAF Nations League at the start of September.
Guatemala’s next competitive fixture is against Martinique on September 4, before also tackling Costa Rica and Guyana in quick succession.
The Blue and Whites have faced Argentina on three previous occasions, with a goalless draw occurring in their first meeting in January 1990, but Argentina have won the last two 4-0 and 3-0 in June 2013 and September 2018 respectively.
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Argentina must submit their final 26-man squad for the Copa America by June 15, so three players need to be cut from the current list.
Head coach Scaloni selected a strong XI against Ecuador, with a certain Lionel Messi being introduced early in the second period, and the number 10 could now feature in the starting side.
Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister could also be introduced into the team against Guatemala, while Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho will hope to be given a chance to impress, potentially off the bench, as Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez could be joined by Messi in attack.
As for Guatemala, head coach Tena may select the same XI that took to the field for the first whistle against British Virgin Islands last time out.
Derby County’s Nathaniel Mendez-Laing will again go in search of his first international goal, while there should again be another start in the final third of the field for Rubio Rubin.
Oscar Santis is also expected to feature in an attacking position for Guatemala here, while Columbus Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen will retain his spot between the sticks.
Argentina possible starting lineup:
E Martinez; Montiel, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Acuna; Enzo, Mac Allister, Paredes; Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Alvarez
Guatemala possible starting lineup:
Hagen; Morales, Pinto, Samayoa, Ardon; Castellanos, Franco; Santis, Galindo, Mendez-Laing; Rubin
It is very difficult to imagine any result other than a comfortable Argentina win. It was 3-0 when the two teams last locked horns in September 2018, and we are predicting the same scoreline here, as Argentina round off their preparations for what is shaping up to be a fascinating Copa America.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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