Argentina’s unbeaten run in the South American World Cup qualifiers came to an end on Thursday as Paraguay delivered a shocking 2-1 victory in Asuncion. Meanwhile, Brazil, another powerhouse of South American football, faced frustration in Venezuela, managing only a 1-1 draw at the Monumental Stadium in Maturin.
Argentina began confidently, with an early goal by Lautaro Martinez. Martinez connected with a perfectly lofted pass from Enzo Fernandez and slotted the ball past the Paraguay defense. However, the initial celebration was cut short by an offside call, only for VAR to confirm Martinez was indeed onside, awarding Argentina an 11th-minute lead.
Paraguay, energized by their home crowd, quickly leveled the game in the 19th minute. Gustavo Velazquez’s cross found Antonio Sanabria, who executed a flawless bicycle kick past Emiliano Martinez to equalize in style.
Just two minutes into the second half, Omar Alderete scored the decisive goal with a header from a Diego Gomez cross, sealing the 2-1 victory. Despite Lionel Messi’s efforts, including a cross to Valentín Castellanos, Argentina struggled to create more scoring opportunities.
Brazil also faced challenges as they took on Venezuela. Vinicius Jr., who had recently scored a hat-trick for Real Madrid, missed a crucial penalty that could have changed the game’s outcome. Raphinha had earlier given Brazil a lead with a stunning free-kick, but Venezuela’s Telasco Segovia equalized immediately after halftime. Venezuela’s defense held strong, keeping Brazil at bay to secure a valuable point.
These results keep Argentina atop the CONMEBOL standings with 22 points, while Brazil remains in third place with 17 points. Paraguay’s win lifted them into the sixth automatic qualification spot, while Venezuela’s draw keeps them in seventh, still in contention for a playoff berth.
In another qualifier, Ecuador delivered a dominant 4-0 win over Bolivia, with Gonzalo Plata scoring twice. Peru will host Chile, and Uruguay faces Colombia as the qualifiers continue.
