Argentina defeated Chile 1-0 in Santiago on Thursday night, continuing their procession to the 2026 World Cup.
Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez scored the only goal of the match in the 16th minute, following a great pass into space from midfielder Thiago Almada.
With several players missing and skipper Lionel Messi only coming on in the second half, Argentina were weaker in key areas. Despite those problems, La Roja only threatened in patches.
The result means Chile are extremely unlikely to qualify for next year’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
With 15 rounds of fixtures played in CONMEBOL’s South American qualifiers, Argentina top the table with 34 points, way ahead of second-place Colombia on 24.
Chile, meanwhile, are bottom of the pile with just 10 points. Defeat in their next match, against Bolivia on Tuesday, will confirm their fate.
World champions Argentina, missing almost their entire midfield through suspension or injury, struggled to find an early rhythm in the opening minutes. But the early goal from the incessant Álvarez, which came just as the game entered a lull, put them ahead.
A ball into space from Almada was taken advantage of by La Araña, who chipped the ball over goalkeeper Brayan Cortés to put the Albiceleste ahead.
Although not particularly incisive, Argentina dominated the rest of the half, with a suffocating press. Chile lacked possession and cohesion. They saw little of the ball, much to the frustration of veteran Alexis Sánchez, who repeatedly asked his teammates to press higher up.
Desperate
Desperately needing points, Chile pushed forward after the break, creating several dangerous situations in a push to draw level.
Not even Messi's introduction in the 57th minute deterred La Roja.
Despite the onslaught, time was running out and ticking down.
Hope among the crowd at the packed Estadio Nacional began diminishing. Chants were heard against coach Ricardo Gareca, with some singing: “Gareca is leaving, he's leaving.”
“I couldn't say what's best for the team and its future. I want to continue, I like this team and these players,” Gareca said at a press conference after the game.
“When the options are limited and you have to win all the points, in addition to your rivals losing points, I don't think I'm in a good frame of mind,” he added.
La Roja’s last mathematical chance at qualification is against Bolivia on Tuesday in El Alto – a game set to be played some 4,150 metres above sea level.
But even Chile it beats La Verde, they could still miss out on the 2026 World Cup if Venezuela, on 15 points and seventh in the table, win their final two matches.
Meanwhile, Argentina will host Colombia in Buenos Aires on Tuesday night.
Mastantuono makes history
With qualification in the bag, Albiceleste coach Lionel Scaloni took the opportunity to bring on Franco Mastantuono, who became the national team’s youngest debutant in a competitive match aged just 17 years, 9 months and 22 days.
The talented River Plate youngster came on in the 84th minute, showing flashes of the brilliance that has made him shine domestically and continentally in the Copa Libertadores.
Mastantuono has caught the attention of Real Madrid and other European clubs, according to the press, with a host of teams assessing whether to trigger his reported 45-million-euro release clause.
"For a boy of that age, the first experiences are always incredible. I think [Mastantuono] has a great future. We have a great team and he will help us to be even stronger," Scaloni said after the match.
Mastantuono surpassed Juan Sarnari, who played in the 1960 Pan American Championship against Costa Rica at the age of 18 years, one month and 22 days.
The attacking midfielder is by far River Plate's leading player this season with four assists and seven goals, one of which was a masterful free kick in the Superclásico clash against Boca Juniors.
Scaloni praised Argentina's resilience after the match, noting Chile's strong second half.
"They made it difficult for us, knowing that it was one of their last chances to qualify for the World Cup. We tried to score the second goal, but we couldn't," he began.
"when you are dominated, you try to defend," said Scaloni.
Line-ups:
Chile: Brayan Cortes - Felipe Loyola (Marcelino Nunez 87), Gabriel Suazo, Francisco Sierralta, Guillermo Maripan - Arturo Vidal (Javier Urzua 46), Rodrigo Echeverría, Vicente Pizarro (Fabián Hormazabal 46) - Alexis Sánchez (Víctor Dávila 87), Dario Osorio (Alexander Aravena 58), Lucas Cepeda. Coach: Ricardo Gareca.
Argentina: Emiliano Martínez - Nahuel Molina Lucero, Cristian Romero, Leonardo Balerdi (Facundo Medina 79), Nicolás Tagliafico - Giuliano Simeone (Juan Foyth 84), Rodrigo De Paul, Nicolas Paz (Lionel Messi 57), Exequiel Palacios, Thiago Almada (Franco Mastantuono 84) - Julián Álvarez (Ángel Correa 80). Head coach: Lionel Scaloni.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
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