In the end, it went about as well as the 68,000 attendees at Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium, the vast majority of whom were wearing Argentina shirts, could have hoped. The world champions recorded a 2-0 win over Australia and everyone got what they paid for. Probably a good thing, too, as according to local reports, some in the stands paid up to 4,800 yuan ($A980) for the privilege.
His name emblazoned across the back of his shirt in Chinese script, Lionel Messi, the star of the show, quickly went to work. Finding room after Mat Leckie turned the ball over just outside his penalty area, he received a pass from Enzo Fernández, sent Aiden O’Neill sprawling as he shifted his weight and then curled the ball beyond Mat Ryan. A gorgeous goal, scored inside 120 seconds – the fastest of Messi’s 103 international strikes.
In a low-stakes, largely commercially-driven friendly, Messi spent most of his time ambling around to an even greater degree than normal. But his enrapturing ability to intersperse an almost ethereally laconic glide across the pitch with jagged, rapid moments of lethal intent and otherworldly skill still shone through. Further opportunities to score followed, including a free kick nodded over the bar in the 66th minute, which won the corner that was eventually headed home by Germán Pezzella. Messi also created chances for others. When you’re the greatest player of all time, you probably can’t help it.
Whether Messi will be a part of Argentina’s squad for the 2026 World Cup is unknown. He has indicated it is unlikely, but Lionel Scaloni has refused to close the door, saying that there’s a spot for him if he wants it. La Albiceleste will get their first chance to prepare for that new, unwelcome reality when they fly south for a date with Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Monday. Messi is now headed for a well-earned holiday before he links up with David Beckham’s in-season Inter Miami in the MLS.
The Socceroos, meanwhile, will forgo a second game during this international window and disperse at the end of what has been a long and arduous year, with coach Graham Arnold heading to Thailand to observe his nation’s Under-17 side attempt to qualify for this year’s U17 World Cup.
Their presence in this game was largely an afterthought to promoters and mostly was thanks to a recommendation from the Argentinians themselves, who had been pursued for a friendly by Football Australia even before the two nations clashed in a tense round of 16 clash at the 2022 World Cup.
Nonetheless, Arnold’s outfit, whose endeavour was obvious, did their part in ensuring those in the stands watched an actual football match, not a 90-minute Messi-themed procession. They mostly typified the vision that Arnold has had for this team since their pre-World Cup turnaround; effort, doggedness, and physicality keeping them in the game against a superior foe. They didn’t deserve to win, didn’t create enough for that, but they weren’t disgraced.
After Argentina’s early energy wore away, tired hearts, minds, and legs at the end of a long season of international and domestic football coming through, Australia’s high press began to produce a series of turnovers and chances in transition. They should have been level when Jordan Bos, who in just his second international start didn’t look out of place against the world champions, picked out Mitch Duke with a pinpoint delivery at the top of the six-yard box in the 28th minute, only for the striker’s effort to be claimed by Emiliano Martínez.
Another giant, England, await them this October, when they play at Wembley for the first time. But while the stage for that game will be grand, at least they won’t have to worry about the game’s greatest scoring inside two minutes.
