On the morning of November 20, Argentina hosted Peru in the 12th match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America. Argentina are forced to win this match after they suffered a surprising 1-2 defeat to Paraguay in the previous match.
However, the visiting team Peru defended very tightly with a large number of defenders, making it difficult for Argentina to approach the goal.
Everything changed in the 55th minute, when Lionel Messi shone. The Inter Miami superstar made a strong dribble into the penalty area of Peru, attracting up to 5 opposing players. Messi then crossed the ball delicately to Lautaro Martinez, who made a beautiful volley, putting Argentina ahead.
Despite controlling the ball up to 74% and creating 10 shots, Argentina only had 3 of the ball on target. The problem of attacking is still a big challenge for the Tango team, especially when Messi is not in such excellent form as before. However, the talent of Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or 8 times, helped Argentina get a minimal 1-0 victory over Peru.
This result helps Argentina end 2024 at the top of the South American 2026 World Cup qualifiers, continuing to maintain an 8-point gap with Paraguay, the team behind in the race for a play-off ticket. Argentina is gradually getting closer to the ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals.
