In a crucial fixture on the path to the FIFA World Cup 2026, Argentina secured a 1-0 victory against Paraguay, with the showdown taking place at Buenos Aires' Estadio Más Monumental. Nicolás Otamendi played hero, finding the back of the net a mere three minutes into the game. Rodrigo De Paul assisted on the decisive goal. 

The Argentine crowd had another reason to cheer as their iconic forward, Lionel Messi, marked his return from an injury. Although he started on the bench, Messi was introduced in the 53rd minute, replacing Julián Álvarez. But Messi's comeback was overshadowed by an altercation with Torino striker Antonio Sanabria. In the 85th minute, following a verbal exchange, Sanabria seemed to spit in Messi's direction. Sanabria later denied these allegations, stating that the images were misleading and that he did not spit at Messi.

Choosing not to escalate the situation, Messi refrained from commenting extensively on the incident. However, he questioned Sanabria's prominence, mentioning, "I don't know who this guy is and I don't want to give him much importance."

After this win, Argentina sits at the top of the CONMEBOL Qualifiers table, with a perfect record: three wins from three matches, amassing 9 points. In contrast, Paraguay is struggling, sliding down to the eighth spot with no wins, one draw, and two losses.

Post-Game Insights:

Argentina has maintained their defensive solidity, recording clean sheets in their last 4 CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifier games.

Otamendi's goal at 2:51 is now the fastest in the 2026 CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers.

Otamendi also stood out in ball distribution, attempting 112 passes – the highest individual tally in the 2026 qualifiers so far.

On the attacking front, Nicolás González, De Paul, and Messi each took 3 shots, the joint-highest total for an Argentina player in this edition of the qualifiers.

Paraguay's struggle in front of the goal continues as they've now gone 449 minutes without scoring.

On a team level, Argentina showed dominance with 741 pass attempts, setting the record for the highest total by any team in a single match in these qualifiers.

This victory marked Argentina's first win against Paraguay in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers since September 11, 2013.