Argentina moved closer to securing their spot in the 2026 World Cup after defeating Uruguay 1-0 in Montevideo on Friday, thanks to a brilliant goal from Thiago Almada.
The match appeared to be heading towards a draw against Uruguay, who had previously defeated Argentina 2-0 in Buenos Aires during the qualifying rounds.
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The decisive moment came when Almada, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder, received the ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a powerful shot into the top corner, beyond Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet’s reach.
Argentina’s otherwise strong performance was slightly marred in stoppage time when Nicolas Gonzalez received a red card for a dangerous high boot challenge on Uruguay’s Nahitan Nandez.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, particularly in Messi’s absence due to injury.
“How can I not be satisfied? Not just for the result — but for how they gave it their all. The satisfaction comes from the fact that the team played a complete match. When one player is missing, another comes in (…) we have enough to go out onto the field calmly, but the team is there.”
Argentina can become the first South American team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico if they defeat Brazil in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.
Argentina currently leads the South American qualifying group with 28 points from 13 games, followed by Ecuador in second place with 22 points and Brazil in third with 21 points.
Uruguay holds fourth position with 20 points from 13 matches, just ahead of Paraguay on goal difference.
The victory guarantees Argentina at least a seventh-place finish, ensuring them a minimum of an inter-confederation playoff spot, with the top six teams qualifying directly for the World Cup.
In another South American qualifier, Ecuador strengthened their qualification chances by defeating Venezuela 2-1, with veteran striker Enner Valencia scoring both goals.
Ecuador is pursuing their fifth World Cup appearance in the nation’s history.
Ecuador’s coach Sebastian Beccacece commented on the team’s performance while emphasizing the importance of staying focused.
“When things are going well, like today when we’ve won three games in a row, we have to be cautious, calm, humble, and have a lot of discipline to continue growing in what’s coming up.”
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