‘Messi is impossible to mark’ – Mauritania coach speaks ahead of friendly match against Argentina

Aritz López Garai says facing world champions Argentina will be a major test for his Mauritania team as the two sides prepare to meet in an international friendly in Buenos Aires.

Mauritania, ranked 115th in the world, will take on second-ranked Argentina at the iconic La Bombonera on March 27, in what López Garai described as a significant opportunity for his team.

“This news caught me in Spain, where I live… The president of the Federation called me last night about this possibility, and it was confirmed today,” López Garai told ESPN.

The Spanish tactician, who has been in charge of Mauritania for a year, revealed that the fixture came about after a scheduled match was cancelled.

“We had two matches scheduled during the FIFA international break in Morocco, but yesterday Palestine announced they wouldn’t be able to play… This opportunity with Argentina came up and it materialized,” he said.

Despite acknowledging the gulf in quality between the two sides, López Garai expressed confidence in his team’s ability to compete.

“Given that we are facing the current world champions… we are very far from Argentina. We will try to be a very competitive team,” he said.

He added that his squad features a strong mix of players, with many based in Europe.

“More than 60% of the players on the Mauritanian national team play in top-level leagues in Europe… we are an African team that is improving,” he noted.

López Garai also singled out Lionel Messi as a major threat ahead of the encounter.

“Messi is impossible to mark; he always finds space… he’s fantastic, and the day he retires, no one will have found a way to stop him,” he said.

Mauritania heads into the match seeking to test itself against one of the world’s best teams despite failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.