November 15, (THEWILL) – Paraguay stunned Argentina with a remarkable 2-1 victory in Asunción, marking their first home triumph against the world champions since 2009.
The result leaves Paraguay firmly positioned in World Cup qualification contention, establishing a four-point gap above Venezuela in the CONMEBOL standings.
The match began with controversy before kickoff, as Paraguayan president Fernando Villasboa implemented a ban on supporters wearing shirts bearing Lionel Messi’s name.
Despite this attempted intimidation, Argentina struck first through Lautaro Martínez, who finished expertly after 10 minutes following an Enzo Fernández assist, with VAR confirming the goal.
The turning point arrived when Torino forward Antonio Sanabria executed an extraordinary overhead kick, bringing the hosts level.
This momentum shift energised the home crowd and transformed the match’s complexion, setting the stage for what would follow.
Paraguay completed their comeback shortly after half-time, with Omar Alderete heading home from Diego Gómez’s free-kick delivery.
Argentina’s frustrations increased when Rodrigo De Paul missed a clear opportunity to equalise, extending his international scoring drought that dates back to 2022.
The victory strengthened Paraguay’s position in the World Cup qualification race, although Argentina maintained their lead at the summit despite this setback.
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.
