Burkina Faso faced significant travel disruptions ahead of their friendly match against Argentina on Sunday, arriving in Buenos Aires just five hours before kickoff and subsequently suffering a 7-0 defeat. The West African team’s journey from Morocco was interrupted when their original flight was cancelled due to a technical fault. Following the cancellation, several veteran players reportedly declined to board the rescheduled flight, citing fatigue as the primary reason.

The Argentine hosts dominated the match, with goals from Lautaro Martinez, Gianluca Prestianni, Nico Paz, Julian Alvarez, Franco Mastantuono, and Giuliano Simeone. Burkina Faso’s Moumoune Diallo also contributed to Argentina’s tally by scoring an own goal.

Argentina’s head coach, Lionel Scaloni, acknowledged the challenges faced by the visiting team. He praised Burkina Faso’s commitment, describing their participation under such difficult circumstances as “truly commendable” and saying it “elevates football.” Scaloni also highlighted the emotional context surrounding the match, which served as a send-off for Lionel Messi, 39, who is expected to play his final appearance for Argentina in a friendly against Benin scheduled for the following day. Messi, who announced his retirement after Argentina’s defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, is set to bring an end to a 21-year career with the national team.

The friendly against Burkina Faso was seen as a preparatory fixture for Argentina, while also providing an opportunity to honor one of the country’s most celebrated footballers. Despite the heavy loss, Burkina Faso’s willingness to compete under challenging travel circumstances drew respect from the host nation’s coaching staff.