Messi and Argentina fall to Uruguay in CONMEBOL 2026 qualifiers

The showdown between Argentina and Uruguay during World Cup qualifiers, Lionel Messi encountered an early challenge, being brought down just one minute into the match. About 20 minutes later, Messi found himself in a scuffle, defending a teammate by placing his hand around the neck of Uruguay’s Mathias Olivera. Despite the heated exchanges, the referees opted not to impose any disciplinary actions.

This charged atmosphere laid the groundwork for an intense battle between the South American rivals, resulting in Argentina’s first loss since their World Cup victory last December. At Estadio La Bombonera in Buenos Aires on Wednesday night, Uruguay emerged triumphant with a 2-0 score.

Ronald Araújo scored in the 41st minute, and Darwin Núñez secured the win in the 86th minute, putting an end to Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez’s impressive shutout streak of 751 minutes.

Reflecting on the defeat, Messi acknowledged, “We had to lose someday; this happens,” in a post-match interview. This loss marked Argentina’s first in nearly a year, with their previous defeat occurring in the World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia on Nov. 22, 2022. However, this earlier setback did not diminish Messi’s pivotal moment in the World Cup final in Qatar last December.

Remarkably, Argentina had maintained a clean sheet in eight consecutive matches, spanning friendlies and qualifying games, since their thrilling victory over France in the World Cup final. Despite his stellar performances, particularly at the World Cup where he earned the Golden Glove, Emiliano Martínez saw his record-breaking streak come to an end.

Uruguay 🇺🇾 have recorded back to back wins against Brazil and Argentina. They are legit.

Argentina played the worst match since Saudi Arabia. Only 2nd loss since 2019. We fall, only to rise again. 🇦🇷💪 pic.twitter.com/6SgVSFnYaZ
— FCB Albiceleste (@FCBAlbiceleste) November 17, 2023

Messi, now a part of Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, faced a goal drought, having not scored since the 32nd and 42nd minutes of Argentina’s 2-0 win over Peru on Oct. 17. Despite a free-kick opportunity in the 57th minute, Messi’s shot hit the top of the net, leaving him frustrated at the missed chance to level the match at 1.

In the 23rd minute, Messi had another opportunity for a free-kick, but it was redirected by a Uruguayan player’s header. Moreover, defenders thwarted at least two other shots from Messi throughout the game.

Messi played an active role in the match right from the start, enduring a tackle by Nunez within the first minute. Additionally, he stepped in to support his teammate Rodrigo De Paul during a heated altercation with Olivera. Despite the intensity of the situation, no players received yellow or red cards, and the game resumed.

Despite Argentina’s initial loss in World Cup qualifying, the team maintained its top position in the CONMEBOL standings with 12 points. Uruguay’s triumph boosted them to 10 points, securing the second spot in the standings, having previously been tied with Brazil and Venezuela.

Argentina’s next match is against Brazil on Tuesday, a fixture that Messi highlighted as a classic encounter with a storied history. He stressed the importance of the team recovering and rising to the challenge against Brazil.

Final Result: Uruguay 2, Argentina 0

Despite Lionel Messi and the Argentine team maintaining an impressive record of not conceding a goal in eight matches since their thrilling World Cup victory over France in Qatar last December, this remarkable streak has now come to an end.

#LionelMessi's Argentina lose to Uruguay in #FIFAWorldCupQualifiers https://t.co/cjHY8Dtvn9
— India Today Sports (@ITGDsports) November 17, 2023

Uruguay clinched victory with goals from Ronald Araújo in the 41st minute and Darwin Núñez in the 86th minute, prevailing over Messi and Argentina in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match at Estadio La Bombonera in Buenos Aires on Wednesday night.

Although Argentina suffered their first loss in World Cup qualifying, they retained the lead in the CONMEBOL standings with 12 points.

Uruguay’s triumph propelled them to 10 points, securing the second position in the standings. Previously, they were tied with Brazil and Venezuela before the match.