Despite After Lautaro Martínez’s early goal, the local team turned the score around with goals from Antonio Sanabria and Omar Alderete. However, the arbitration of Anderson Daronco became the central topic of the duel, especially for a decision that caused the fury of the albiceleste captain, Lionel Messi.
The most controversial incident occurred in the first half, when Alderete, after receiving a yellow for a hard tackle on Messi’s left ankle, cocommitted another infraction five minutes later cutting off a promised breakthroughr without intention of playing the ball.
Although the foul warranted a second yellow card, The Brazilian referee chose not to sanction himunleashing the indignation of the Argentine team. Lionel Scalonifrom the lime line, He described Daronco as “cheeky” repeatedly.
When the first part ended, Messi faced the refereevisibly upset, pointing his finger at him and demanding explanations. Other players joined his claim, such as Nicolás Otamendi, Rodrigo de Paul and Enzo Fernández, although the captain was the one who led the protests. In an attempt to calm the situation, Daronco gestured for calm, but the discomfort was already established.
The controversy with the referee not only generated frustration among Argentine playersbut also ignited the debate about the impact of refereeing in decisive matches. Although the match left a defeat for the Argentine National Team, what happened at Defensores del Chaco will also be remembered for these failures.
A difficult match for Argentina
He Argentine team showed flashes of quality, but suffered to impose their style of play in a very even duel. Messi had a clear opportunity in the 78th minute with a shot that deflected and almost ended in a goal.
However, Paraguayan effectiveness ended up making the differenceleaving the world champions without the possibility of taking a key step towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
On an individual level, the match also did not allow Messi to expand his already impressive statistics. The albiceleste captain has 112 goals and 57 assists in 190 gamess with his national team, in addition to accumulating 850 goals and 378 assists in his professional career, distributed among clubs such as Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami.
Messi’s fight with Cristiano Ronaldo
Messi’s performance in these qualifiers also has a historical background: his constant dispute with Cristiano Ronaldo for national team goal records. While the Portuguese leads with 133 goals in 216 games, Messi follows him with 112 goals in 190 games.
The next opportunity for the Argentine will be in the duel against Peru in La Bombonera, while Ronaldo will face Poland and Croatia for the UEFA Nations League.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
