The Argentina national football team hosted Paraguay at River Plate Stadium on Thursday night in the third contest of the Conmebol qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Lionel Messi hit the crossbar on two occasions, once from the corner kick spot.
Nicolas Otamendi surprised the crowd in the third minute of the game with an early goal. The Benfica defender joined the attack and sent an impressive right-footed volley into Carlos Coronel’s goal off a Rodrigo de Paul corner kick.
Paraguay could not move past the midfield despite the dynamic Miguel Almirón. Argentina did not need Messi throughout the first half as De Paul, Nico Gonzalez, Julian Alvarez, and Lautaro Martinez were excellent for head coach Lionel Scaloni.
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Lionel Messi hits the post on free kick
Less than ten minutes into the second half, Lionel Messi took the field, substituting for Alvarez. His corner kick, attempted twenty minutes later, struck the crossbar.
Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami, encountered another near miss when his free kick hit the crossbar just minutes before the end of the match.
It is probable that Messi will be ready to represent Argentina in their upcoming away game against Peru on Tuesday.
The 1-0 scoreline was deceptive as Argentina had several opportunities to secure a more significant victory, while Paraguay made no significant attempts to score in Buenos Aires.
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