Argentina won against Panama 2-0 in a friendly match yesterday, Thursday, with goals from Thiago Almada and Lionel Messi amidst a celebratory atmosphere in their first game in front of their fans since winning the FIFA World Cup in December.
Lionel Scaloni chose the same starting lineup that won against France in the World Cup final, with the team dominating the match from the start, but they struggled to penetrate Panama's defense until late in the second half.
Almada, a player for Atlanta United, opened the scoring in the 79th minute with his first international goal after taking advantage of a rebound from the left post following a free kick from Messi.
Captain Messi finally scored his 800th career goal, doubling the lead in the 89th minute with a stunning free kick that found the upper right corner of the net, delighting over 80,000 spectators who chanted his name at the Monumental Stadium.
In a post-match celebration organized by the Argentine Football Association to commemorate the third World Cup title and the first for the country in 36 years, Messi said, "I have always dreamed of this moment, to celebrate with you in my country Argentina and to lift the greatest thing, the World Cup."
He added, "Let’s continue to do what we are doing and enjoy this because we waited a long time to win the cup again. Let’s enjoy the third star."
Scaloni, visibly emotional, stated, "I give credit to these players. Football belongs to them, and without them, we would not have won the World Cup."
The coach announced before a victory lap for the players and their families, similar to that which took place 95 days ago at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, "Everyone who wears this shirt gives everything they have, and sometimes the desired results do not materialize. But this time we achieved what we wanted, which is incredible."
Argentina will continue to celebrate their champions at home with a friendly match against Curacao next Tuesday, while Panama faces Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Nations League.
