World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Argentina Defeat Chile

Argentina defeated Chile 3-0 in the seventh round of the CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Despite the absence of their captain and star player, Lionel Messi, who was sidelined due to injury during this international break, Argentina opened the scoring through Alexis Mac Allister, the Liverpool midfielder, in the 48th minute. Julian Alvarez added the second goal in the 84th minute, and Paulo Dybala, the Roma forward, sealed the win with a third goal in the first minute of stoppage time. This victory strengthened Argentinas lead at the top of the standings with 18 points from six wins and one loss, extending their lead to five points ahead of second-placed Uruguay, who will host Paraguay tomorrow morning in the same round. Meanwhile, Chile remains in ninth place (second to last) with five points after suffering their fourth loss in the qualifiers, alongside one win and two draws. (QNA) Source: Qatar News Agency