New Delhi: In a night of high-stakes World Cup qualifiers, South America’s biggest stars—Lionel Messi and Vinicius Junior saw their teams stumble in crucial matches, as Argentina fell to Paraguay and Brazil settled for a draw against Venezuela. Argentina suffered the first upset as they fell 2-1 to Paraguay in Asunción. Lautaro Martínez gave visitors the lead in the 11th minute but Paraguay responded swiftly with a stunning bicycle kick by Antonio Sanabria in the 19th minute.
The hosts continued to put pressure on the World Cup winners and just two minutes into the second half, Omar Alderete’s powerful header secured the lead. Messi, who had a subdued presence throughout expressed frustration over the Brazilian referee for his decision. Omar Alderete’s freekick was awarded to Paraguay after a foul by Leonardo Balerdi on Julio Enciso.
High-stakes drama
Tensions were evident early on, with Paraguay’s ban on Messi jerseys adding fuel to an already intense atmosphere in Asunción. The Argentine star faced relentless marking from Paraguayan players and Messi didn’t hold back in showing his frustration with Brazilian referee Anderson Daronco, who chose not to send off Alderete despite several aggressive tackles.
🔥 Arjantin, Paraguay’a 2-1 mağlup oldu.
⚡️ Lionel Messi, karşılaşmanın son düdüğü çaldıktan sonra hakemlere gitti ve onlarla ufak çaplı bir tartışma yaşadı. pic.twitter.com/NkypAVgbKi
— BBO Sports (@bbosports) November 15, 2024
Alderete went on to score the deciding goal in the second half in a stadium dominated by Paraguay’s red and white colors. After the match, Lautaro Martínez said, “We came to a hard place where the national team always struggled. We have to correct a lot of things we did wrong in this match, but generally speaking, we are playing well. We are still in the lead, and we have to look forward.”
Argentina stay on top
Despite the loss, Argentina remains at the top of the South American qualifying standings with 22 points in 11 matches. The victory boosted Paraguay’s World Cup hopes moving them closer to the top five. The hosts sit at the sixth spot with 16 points from the 11 games.
Paraguay are tied on 16 points with Uruguay (4th) and Ecuador (5th). The top six teams will directly qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from South American qualifiers.
🚨Argentina remain top of the CONMEBOL qualifiers 👇 pic.twitter.com/0jymAfHqe0
— 𝐂𝐀 𝐕𝐀?🐐🐐 (@psg_chief) November 15, 2024
Vinicius Jr’s miss keeps Brazil in Third
Brazil’s Vinicius Junior also endured a disappointing night as he missed an important penalty against Venezuela in World Cup qualifying match against Venezuela. This ended the match in a 1-1 draw and now five-time World Champions sit in third place in standings behind their rivals Argentina and Colombia.
I’m in tears Vinicius missed a penalty and the rebound as well😭
— Berneese (@the_berneese_) November 14, 2024
Brazil’s only goal was scored by Barcelona winger Raphinha who gave the visitors lead in 43rd minute. It was three minutes later Venezuela equalised. Vinicius is yet to score a goal in World Cup qualifiers.
Argentina’s lead in the standings offers some relief despite the loss, but Brazil’s third-place position has sparked concern given their rich legacy in the competition. With South America’s qualification spots still fiercely contested, both Argentina and Brazil will be under pressure to regain form in their next outings.
Argentina falls 2-1 to Paraguay in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers while Brazil settles for a 1-1 draw against Venezuela. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
