Football/ 2026 world cup Qualifiers: Argentina falls to Paraguay amid controversy and frustration
Argentina faced a challenging night in Asunción during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, succumbing to a 2-1 defeat against Paraguay. Despite the setback, Lionel Scaloni’s team remains atop the South American standings with a three-point cushion over Colombia, who play Uruguay next.
However, the nature of this loss has raised eyebrows, particularly due to a contentious refereeing decision that left Lionel Messi incensed.
The match began with promise for Argentina as Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring early. Paraguay quickly responded with an equalizer from Antonio Sanabria.
Controversy erupted when Messi, dribbling past defender Omar Alderete, was abruptly stopped. Alderete, already on a yellow card, escaped further punishment, prompting outrage from the Argentine side.
Messi confronted Brazilian referee Anderson Daronco at halftime with fiery remarks, yet no disciplinary action followed.
Adding to Argentina’s woes, Alderete scored Paraguay’s decisive goal shortly after the break. Messi, desperate to salvage the game, struck the woodwork twice on free kicks.
Late substitutions, including Alejandro Garnacho, brought energy but failed to change the outcome. Missed chances by Rodrigo De Paul and Valentín Castellanos compounded Argentina’s frustration.
In the post-match press conference, Scaloni refrained from directly blaming the referee but alluded to dissatisfaction with the officiating. « We all saw what happened, » he remarked, urging focus on the future. Argentina will aim to bounce back in their next fixture against Peru.
