Argentina close on World Cup as Messi helps Martinez level up with Maradona

Holders Argentina adjacent connected World Cup spot arsenic Lautaro Martinez joins Diego Maradona arsenic country’s 5th starring scorer.

A second-half onslaught from Lautaro Martinez gave Argentina a 1-0 location triumph implicit Peru successful South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup connected Tuesday night, with the striker’s extremity moving him level with Diego Maradona arsenic the country’s 5th all-time scorer.

The 27-year-old Inter Milan guardant notched his 32nd planetary extremity 10 minutes aft the break, capitalising connected a good transverse from Lionel Messi to occurrence location a half-volley into the top-right corner.

“I’m blessed due to the fact that my full household came and I ever privation to springiness my best. This twelvemonth was precise affirmative and luckily we closed it with a victory,” Martinez told section TV.

“It was a spectacular twelvemonth successful presumption of performance, goals, games played. We person to support playing and improving time by day. Everyone wants to bushed us. Argentina’s nationalist squad are ever the main characters. There are things to amended but we person to proceed connected this path.”

Until Martínez scored, Argentina’s champion accidental was successful the 21st minute, erstwhile striker Julian Alvarez deed the Peruvian goalkeeper’s close post. Messi erstwhile again had a humble performance, arsenic helium did successful his team’s 2-1 decision successful Paraguay on Thursday.

The World Cup holders pb the CONMEBOL standings with 25 points, 5 wide of Uruguay. Peru are bottommost of the 10-team array with 7 points aft 12 games. The apical six suffice automatically for the World Cup successful the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“We are Copa America champions, we are archetypal successful the qualifiers. We person to beryllium proud,” Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez added.

Inter Miami forward, Messi, remains the country’s grounds extremity scorer netting 112 times. Former striker Gabriel Batistuta, who enjoyed a agelong vocation with Fiorentina successful Italy, is 2nd connected the database with 55 goals.

Brazil’s players were fixed a frosty reception arsenic they near the tract pursuing the location gully with Uruguay [Heuler Andrey/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images]

Argentina’s rivals Brazil look instrumentality backlash arsenic stutter continues

Brazil fans astatine location successful Salvador jeered their squad aft the last whistle pursuing their 1-1 gully against Uruguay.

In a lucifer with fewer opportunities for either side, Uruguay seemed person to winning for astir of the 2nd fractional with Federico Valverde opening the scoring successful the 55th infinitesimal aft Brazilian defenders failed 3 times to wide the shot from their punishment area. The Real Madrid midfielder deed the shot to the near country to score.

Gerson equalized successful the 61st infinitesimal successful akin manner astatine the Arena Fonte Nova.

Brazil, who stay without the services of their injured guardant Neymar, lag successful 5th presumption with 18 points aft respective uninspiring performances. Striker Raphinha said helium understood the vexation of his team’s fans but disagreed with their absorption astatine the end.

“We played great. We did everything we could to permission present with a victory. We indispensable person our heads precocious up, it volition beryllium precise pugnacious to bushed us,” helium said.

Also connected Tuesday, Ecuador won 1-0 astatine Colombia with a extremity by Enner Valencia successful the seventh minute, successful which helium dribbled done 3 players earlier scoring. Ecuador mislaid defender Piero Hincapie to a reddish paper successful the 34th infinitesimal but held connected for the win.

Bolivia and Paraguay drew 2-2 successful a lucifer betwixt teams that could extremity up warring for the seventh presumption successful the region’s qualifying. Chile, 1 of the worst-performing teams successful the portion this year, showed immoderate warring tone and bushed Venezuela 4-2.

Source

:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies