Argentina beats Benin 3-0, extends friendly winning streak to 22

A 3-0 scoreline against Benin at the Monumental Stadium marked the end of the FIFA international window for Argentina. The world champions secured a comfortable victory in Buenos Aires, maintaining their dominant form in exhibition fixtures before a packed home crowd.

Second-half goals seal victory

The first half saw Benin effectively restrict space, resulting in a goalless opening period. However, the deadlock was broken shortly after the restart by veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi, whose well-placed header opened the scoring for La Albiceleste.

Momentum shifted decisively in favor of the hosts as substitute midfielder Nicolas Paz doubled the lead minutes later. Paz executed a crisp finish from inside the penalty area, putting further distance between the two sides.

Lionel Messi added the final touch late in the match, sliding the ball home to confirm the 3-0 result. This sequence of second-half strikes allowed Argentina to overcome a stubborn African defence and close out the contest with authority.

Streak reaches 22 consecutive wins

This triumph extended Argentina’s remarkable winning streak in international friendlies to 22 consecutive matches. The run began in June 2022 with a 5-0 victory over Estonia and has continued under manager Lionel Scaloni for more than four years.

Statistical dominance characterizes this period, with the team scoring 75 goals while conceding only three across these 22 games. Clean sheets were kept against 19 different opponents during this stretch.

Only Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mauritania have managed to find the net against Argentina within this specific timeframe. The defensive solidity remains a key feature of the squad's recent performances in non-competitive settings.

Unbeaten record in exhibitions

Beyond the winning streak, the result also prolongs Argentina’s overall unbeaten record in non-competitive fixtures. The team has not suffered defeat in a friendly match since 2019.

This consistency brings the total number of consecutive unbeaten exhibition games to 28. Scaloni’s squad continues to demonstrate exceptional stability across all international windows, ensuring no losses in these preparatory contests.

With the international break concluded, attention now turns to upcoming competitive qualifiers. The team will aim to carry this momentum forward into official tournament play.