Argentina v Burkina Faso: Albiceleste backed to maintain winning form in friendly

Argentina host Burkina Faso at the Estadio Monumental on Sunday, 4 October 2026 at 00:00 GMT, with victory for the home side priced at 1,213.

The friendly gives both teams an opportunity to assess their squads and improve their understanding ahead of future international fixtures. Argentina, managed by Lionel Scaloni, will be expected to control possession and dictate the tempo, while Burkina Faso and coach Amir Abdou face a demanding test against the World Cup runners-up.

Mahamad Sangare, presenter of the sports debate programme La VAR on Burkina info TV, has provided his assessment and predictions for the match.

Argentina arrive in strong form

Argentina reached the 2026 World Cup final before losing 1-0 to Spain on 19 July. They had beaten England 2-1 in the semi-final.

In their first friendly since the tournament, they defeated Bolivia 4-0 on 30 September 2026. Lautaro Martinez, Nico Paz, Cristian Romero and Flaco Lopez all contributed, with Nico Paz scoring once and providing an assist.

The result underlined Argentina’s attacking depth, although Lionel Messi is not expected to feature against Burkina Faso. His return is scheduled for the meeting with Benin on 6 October, which is intended to mark his farewell to the national team.

Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso and Nicolas Otamendi are also being reserved for that final friendly. Argentina are therefore unlikely to face Burkina Faso with their usual strongest squad.

Lautaro Martinez, Nico Paz and Cristian Romero will be among the players to watch after their displays against Bolivia. Argentina’s technical quality, ball retention and finishing remain their principal strengths.

Burkina Faso face a major test

The Etalons have produced mixed results recently. They drew with Benin in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match before beating Central African Republic 1-0 away from home. Aboubacar Camara scored the only goal on 28 September 2026 after coming off the bench and could become a more prominent attacking option for Amir Abdou.

Burkina Faso’s earlier June friendlies exposed defensive weaknesses, with a 3-0 defeat by Russia followed by a 2-2 draw against Belarus. They will need discipline, defensive organisation and greater efficiency in attack to withstand Argentina’s pressure.

Dango Ouattara remains one of the team’s main attacking threats, although he missed the first two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for health reasons and must regain his rhythm if selected. Captain Bertrand Traore is not in the squad, while the coach has made several other changes.

Edmond Tapsoba will be important in the defensive duels, his positioning and distribution, while goalkeeper Herve Koffi’s international experience and ability to make decisive saves could be tested repeatedly.

Betting predictions and head-to-head record

The senior sides had never previously met before this friendly. The match, listed in the source as taking place in Buenos Aires on 3 October 2026, is therefore described as their first meeting at senior international level.

They did face one another at the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago. The group match on 15 September ended 2-2, before Burkina Faso won 2-0 in the third-place play-off on 30 September.

Other statistical options include both teams to score at 2,16, Argentina to score more than 2.5 goals at 1,95, and no goal in the opening five minutes at 1,10. The recommended selections are Argentina to win at 1,213, under 3.5 goals at 1,54, a 3-0 correct score at 7, and Lautaro Martinez to score at any time at 1,49. The odds may change.