Argentina demonstrated their depth and resilience Thursday night, securing a commanding 3-0 victory over Chile in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match, despite the absence of star player Lionel Messi.
The reigning world champions struggled to break through in the first half but found their rhythm after the break. Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, capitalizing on a clever dummy by Lautaro Martinez.
Julian Alvarez doubled the lead in the 80th minute with a stunning long-range strike that found the top-left corner, potentially earning goal-of-the-year consideration for the Albiceleste.
Paulo Dybala, wearing Messi’s No. 10 jersey, came off the bench to seal the win in stoppage time, beating Chilean goalkeeper Gabriel Arias at his near post.
“We showed great character tonight,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “This team knows how to win, even when we’re not at our best.”
Chile’s best opportunity came just before halftime when defender Matias Catalan’s header struck the woodwork.
The victory solidifies Argentina’s position atop the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings, now five points clear of their nearest competitor. Chile drops to ninth place following the defeat.
Argentina’s next qualifier is scheduled for Tuesday against Colombia, while Chile will look to rebound against Peru.
