Argentina 4-0 Bolivia: Paz Leads a Controlled Friendly Win in Córdoba
Argentina opened this friendly window with a 4-0 win over Bolivia on October 1, 2026, at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba. The key message was clear: Lionel Scaloni’s side did not need chaos or emotion. They needed control. They got it.
Lautaro Martínez scored in the 19th minute, assisted by Alexis Mac Allister. Nico Paz doubled the lead in the 29th minute from Exequiel Palacios’ assist. Cristian Romero made it 3-0 in the 54th minute, with Paz providing the assist. J. López, introduced in the 74th minute, completed the scoring in the 86th minute.
For Bolivia and U. Saucedo, this was a hard friendly, the kind South American sides know too well against Argentina: long spells without breathing space, then punishment when the structure bends.
Set-ups and team structure
The supplied lineups feed did not list verified formations or full starting XIs for either side, so no exact formation can be confirmed from the official match data.
Argentina were coached by Lionel Scaloni. Bolivia’s current head-coach feed lists U. Saucedo.
What the events did show was the shape of the contest: Argentina’s midfield and attacking players decided it early. Mac Allister and Palacios both supplied assists before the half-hour. Paz scored one goal and assisted another. That was the match.
Match narrative
Argentina did not need long to impose their terms. In the 19th minute, Lautaro Martínez put them ahead from Mac Allister’s assist. It was the kind of goal that changes a friendly’s temperature: Bolivia could no longer simply sit in the match and wait for it to become loose.
Ten minutes later, Argentina had the second. Paz scored in the 29th minute, assisted by Palacios. That mattered beyond the scoreline. In a match shaped by younger attacking options, Paz did not drift around the edges. He took a direct part in the damage.
Bolivia reacted before the interval. L. Viviani came on for D. Arroyo in the 43rd minute, and R. Vaca was withdrawn as Bolivia changed again at the start of the second half. Saucedo’s changes came early, but they did not stop Argentina’s rhythm.
M. Terceros was booked in the 50th minute for diving, and Argentina punished Bolivia again soon after. Romero scored in the 54th minute, assisted by Paz. That made it 3-0 and killed any remaining suspense.
Scaloni then moved quickly. In the 56th minute, Argentina made a triple change, with Romero and Paz among the players withdrawn and V. Barco among those introduced. It was classic friendly management: protect legs, test options, keep the structure alive.
Bolivia made another change in the 72nd minute, with Óscar López replacing R. Matheus. Argentina followed in the 74th minute with more changes, including E. Fernández replacing Mac Allister and J. López replacing Lautaro Martínez.
That last change had a clear payoff. J. López scored in the 86th minute to make it 4-0, giving Argentina a final line that reflected their control.
Why Argentina won
The match was settled through timing and midfield authority.
Mac Allister’s assist in the 19th minute gave Argentina the clean start. Palacios’ assist in the 29th minute pushed Bolivia into a deeper problem. Paz then became the bridge between both phases of Argentina’s attack: scorer in the 29th minute, provider in the 54th minute.
That is why his performance mattered. Not because of comparisons or slogans, but because he affected the score twice before being withdrawn in the 56th minute. In a friendly, that is the package Scaloni wants: minutes, influence and efficiency.
Romero’s goal in the 54th minute also gave Argentina another layer. With defenders contributing and midfielders supplying, Bolivia had too many problems to solve at once.
Bolivia’s difficult night
Bolivia’s substitutions told part of the story. Viviani entered for Arroyo in the 43rd minute, R. Vaca was withdrawn in the 46th minute, and Óscar López replaced R. Matheus in the 72nd minute. Later, D. Medina replaced R. Fernández and L. Haquín replaced J. Maraude among Bolivia’s late changes.
But the game had already gone. The yellow card to M. Terceros in the 50th minute, recorded for diving, summed up Bolivia’s frustration. They had moments to reorganise, but not enough to threaten Argentina’s command.
Key events
- 19th minute: Lautaro Martínez scored for Argentina, assisted by Alexis Mac Allister
- 29th minute: Nico Paz scored for Argentina, assisted by Exequiel Palacios
- 43rd minute: Bolivia substitution, L. Viviani on for D. Arroyo
- 46th minute: Bolivia made another change, with R. Vaca withdrawn
- 50th minute: M. Terceros booked for Bolivia for diving
- 54th minute: Cristian Romero scored for Argentina, assisted by Nico Paz
- 56th minute: Argentina made a triple substitution, with Romero and Paz among the players withdrawn and V. Barco among those introduced
- 72nd minute: Bolivia substitution, Óscar López on for R. Matheus
- 74th minute: Argentina substitutions included E. Fernández for Mac Allister and J. López for Lautaro Martínez
- 83rd minute: Bolivia made late changes, including D. Medina for R. Fernández and L. Haquín for J. Maraude
- 86th minute: J. López scored for Argentina
What it means
For Argentina, this was not just a 4-0 friendly win. It was a clean start to a new stretch under Scaloni, with Paz giving the staff exactly what they needed: production, clarity and authority in the final third.
For Bolivia, the lesson is just as direct. Against top South American opposition, early damage becomes a tactical prison. Saucedo made changes, but the gap in control was too wide.
Argentina move on with momentum and options. Paz strengthened his case, López took his chance from the bench, and Scaloni got the green light on a younger attacking plan without losing the old certainty: Argentina still know how to manage a match once they get ahead.
