Santiago: Argentina secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Chile on Friday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Julian Alvarez scored the only goal of the match in the 16th minute, capitalising on a brilliant assist from Thiago Almada.
The match, played at Estadio Nacional in Santiago, saw Chile push hard for an equaliser but couldn’t breach the Argentine defence. Lionel Messi, who wore the captain’s armband, came on as a substitute in the 57th minute and had a few promising moments, including a free kick that Chilean goalkeeper Brayan Cortés well saved.
Chile created several chances but couldn’t find the back of the net, with Alexis Sánchez and Lucas Cepeda having notable opportunities that were either saved or went wide. Argentina’s defence held strong, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez making crucial saves to deny Chile.
The win cements Argentina’s position at the top of the CONMEBOL standings, while Chile’s loss puts them further in jeopardy of missing out on the 2026 World Cup. Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, made changes to his lineup, giving Franco Mastantuono his international debut at 17 years and 295 days old.
With this win, Argentina continues its strong run in the qualifiers, while Chile will need to regroup and reassess their strategy to stay in contention for a World Cup spot.