June 06, (THEWILL) – Julian Alvarez struck the decisive blow as Argentina earned a 1-0 victory over Chile in World Cup qualifying action, potentially ending La Roja’s hopes of reaching the 2026 tournament. The world champions, having already confirmed their place at the finals, fielded a youthful side in Ñuñoa with Lionel Messi starting on the bench. Alvarez’s sublime finish after just 16 minutes proved sufficient to maintain Argentina’s commanding position atop the CONMEBOL qualification table.
The forward showed exceptional technique when converting Thiago Almada’s through ball, racing clear before lifting the ball over goalkeeper, Brayan Cortes, with the outside of his boot. The goal bore the hallmarks of vintage Messi, the kind of composure and skill that has become synonymous with Argentine football. Chile’s early response came through Alexis Sanchez, whose effort was comfortably saved by Emiliano Martinez, for their only meaningful first-half opportunity.
Ricardo Gareca’s side intensified their efforts after the interval, with Lucas Cepeda emerging as their primary threat. The winger created three distinct chances to level the contest but was denied on each occasion by a combination of Martinez’s reflexes and misfortune. His 20-yard drive was pushed away by the Argentina keeper, whilst a curling effort struck Cristian Romero before cannoning off the crossbar. Cepeda’s final opportunity saw him volley wide from close range in the 73rd minute.
Argentina introduced Messi for Como prospect, Nico Paz, during the second half but never appeared in serious danger of surrendering their advantage. The visitors nearly doubled their lead in stoppage time when Giuliano Simeone rounded Cortes but inexplicably fired into the side netting from a promising position. The miss proved inconsequential as the Albiceleste maintained their perfect record in qualifying.
The result leaves Chile in a precarious position at the foot of the qualification table, five points adrift of the playoff spot with three matches remaining. Their World Cup hopes will be completely extinguished if Venezuela defeat Bolivia on Friday, whilst Argentina have established an unassailable 10-point cushion over Ecuador at the summit.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
