June 11, (THEWILL) – Argentina extended their unbeaten run in the CONMEBOL qualifiers on Tuesday night with a 1–1 draw against Colombia in Barranquilla, despite already having qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A late goal from Thiago Almada rescued a point for La Albiceleste after they had gone behind in the first half and were reduced to 10 men in the 71st minute.
The visitors were dealt a blow when Enzo Fernández was shown a straight red card after a reckless challenge, putting Argentina under pressure for the final 20 minutes.
However, they found an equaliser in the 81st minute through Almada, who capitalised on a throw-in near the box.
The Lyon winger drifted centrally, cut inside, and fired a low shot past Colombian goalkeeper Kevin Mier.
The absence of Lionel Messi in the closing stages added another layer of difficulty for the Argentine side.
The 37-year-old forward had been substituted in the 78th minute in a tactical move to bring on fresh legs.
Despite his departure, Argentina pushed forward, and the equaliser followed three minutes later.
Colombia had earlier taken the lead through Luis Díaz in the 24th minute.
The Liverpool winger collected a through ball on the left, surged past four defenders, and rifled a shot into the far corner beyond Emiliano Martínez.
Despite Argentina controlling 64 percent of possession, Colombia remained disciplined and posed threats on the counter.
The result moved Colombia to sixth in the qualifying standings, reaching 22 points.
That position keeps them inside the automatic qualification zone for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, narrowly ahead of the seventh-place slot, which leads to an inter-confederation play-off.
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.
