Lautaro Martínez entered the podium of the Argentina national football team’s all-time leading scorers on October 3, 2026, by scoring his 42nd international goal during a 7-0 friendly victory against Burkina Faso at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The delantero opened the scoring in the third minute, matching the career total of Sergio Agüero while requiring 15 fewer matches to reach the milestone.
Monumental Stadium Opening Minutes Bring Milestone
The milestone arrived early during the international fixture in Buenos Aires, where Argentina dominated the proceedings against a touring side facing prior logistical delays. Just three minutes into the match, refereeing officials awarded a penalty kick after Agustín Giay advanced down the right flank and Moumouni Diallo brought the defender down inside the area following an initial touch on the ball. Martínez stepped up to take the spot-kick, aiming for the right corner of the goal guarded by Razak Guira. Though Guira blocked the initial attempt, Martínez reacted quickest to the loose ball, sweeping home a left-footed rebound to break the deadlock.
That conversion brought the 28-year-old forward to 42 goals in 86 international appearances. By comparison, Agüero accumulated his 42 tallies across 101 matches before concluding his career with the Albiceleste. Manager Lionel Scaloni kept Martínez on the pitch until the 69th minute, when Santiago Castro replaced him as part of a second-half tactical rotation.
Historical Scoring Table Comparison
With his strike against Burkina Faso, Martínez solidified his standing among the most prolific players in the history of the Argentina national team. The updated all-time scoring chart highlights the distance between the current squad’s leaders and historical greats:
- Lionel Messi: 125 goals in 207 appearances
- Gabriel Batistuta: 54 goals in 77 appearances
- Lautaro Martínez: 42 goals in 86 appearances
- Sergio Agüero: 42 goals in 101 appearances
- Hernán Crespo: 35 goals in 63 appearances
- Diego Maradona: 32 goals in 87 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuaín: 31 goals in 75 appearances
- Ángel Di María: 30 goals in 145 appearances
Martínez now stands directly behind Batistuta, who sits second with 54 international goals. Lionel Messi commands the top spot with 125 goals.
Extensive Friendly Rout Unfolds in Buenos Aires
The early breakthrough set the tone for an overwhelming offensive display from the team. Five minutes after Martínez broke the deadlock, Argentina doubled the advantage when Facundo Medina drove down the left wing and Julián Álvarez forced an action near the goalmouth that resulted in an own goal by Diallo. Martínez turned provider four minutes later, combining in the buildup to assist Gianluca Prestianni for the winger’s maiden goal with the senior national team. Further goals from Nico Paz, Álvarez, Franco Mastantuono—who also converted off a Martínez assist—and Giuliano Simeone completed the 7-0 scoreline.
At club level, the attacker holds third place on Benfica’s all-time scoring list with 177 goals in 379 matches, trailing only Alessandro Altobelli with 209 and Giuseppe Meazza with 284.
Upcoming Fixtures at Estadio Monumental
The Argentina national team concludes its current international window on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, hosting Benin at 20:00 local time at the Estadio Monumental. Association officials have designated the fixture as the farewell match for Lionel Messi from the national setup.
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