The post-Lionel Messi era began with an Argentina defeat on Friday.
The 2026 World Cup runner-up fell 2-1 to Uruguay in a friendly at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, marking the team's first match since Messi's international retirement in early October.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who signed a contract extension through 2030 this week, expressed confidence that his team has the talent to rebuild after it had revolved around the Inter Miami star for more than 20 years.
"We have to rebuild without Leo Messi, and we have the talent to bounce back from this loss," Scaloni said. "The match was good, beyond the final result; we performed well in the second half. It gives me things to analyze. We knew it would be difficult, and now we have to keep working."
Leonardo Balerdi opened the scoring with an own goal in the 48th minute before Maxi Araújo doubled Uruguay's lead in the 53rd minute under new coach Diego Forlán. Julián Álvarez pulled one back for the hosts in the 73rd minute.
"It was an important match, and we wanted to win it," Álvarez said. "Beyond the result, we did some good things. There is always room for improvement. We executed a bit of what the coach wants. We have another match coming up. It's a new era, with a lot of young guys. We have to keep working to carry on the legacy left by the others."
Messi played his final official match for Argentina in a 1-0 World Cup final defeat against Spain in New Jersey, having bid farewell to fans last month during an emotional friendly win over Benin. He finished his international career with 207 appearances and 125 goals for La Albiceleste.
The 39-year-old legend's retirement remains a fresh wound for his fans; notably, the stadium fell short of a sellout, a rare departure from the norm when Messi played.
While most supporters in the stands wore Messi's iconic No. 10, Scaloni chose not to assign the number to any player for the match. The coach explained that he has yet to select a successor and, as it is not mandatory, prefers to leave the jersey vacant for now.
On the pitch, Argentina maintained its signature polished possession, but lacked the explosive, incisive spark that Messi typically delivered in the final third. Neither Nico Paz nor Thiago Almada was able to fill that void.
Argentina will look to bounce back against Costa Rica in Córdoba on Tuesday, while Uruguay returns home to host the Dominican Republic on the same day.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.