Argentina defeated Peru 2-0 on Tuesday night @ Estadio Nacional de Lima at Lima, Peru, in their 2026 World Cup qualification match. Messi hit two goals and played the full ninety-three minutes.
Messi looked fit and focused, playing the entire game and scoring his first goal since suffering his right leg injury against Argentina on September 7 that limited him for the majority of his previous six-week period with MLS team Inter Miami.
How the game went? Messi
At one point, Messi was moving across and back on the goal line, making a Peruvian defender fall twice before reaching midfield because he was that aggressive and fast. He was shrewd in where he placed his shots for his two first-half goals, behind other players on both occasions before finding wide space to shoot toward the goal.
The fact that he Is well is the most crucial factor. After the game, in which Argentina maintained their one-point lead in the CONMEBOL Standings, coach Lionel Scaloni praised the player for “managing the minutes alone.”
For his first goal, Messi followed down the centre of the box and received a pass from Nicolás González on a silver platter. In the thirty-second minute, his left boot hit the top-right corner of the net, and he jumped over a downed Peruvian defender to start the celebrations with his teammates.
He scored twice in ten minutes after Enzo Fernández’s ball placed him in position for a left foot into the lower-left of the net in the forty-second minute.
As the second half got underway, Messi persisted in his relentless pursuit of a hat trick. However, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and 2022 World Cup champion did not have the same spectacular moments from a minimum of three opportunities, with a penalty shot in the 88th minute.
What did Messi say?
After the victory, he stated about the Argentine national team, “We want to keep going in this direction. “We are much more loose, unified, firm, and confident now that we have won the World Cup. “Hopefully, we can keep expanding,” Messi continued.
About both teams:
Argentina
Argentina’s international football team, commonly known as “La Albiceleste,” is their national football squad. They have won numerous FIFA World Cup and Copa America trophies, making them one of the most successful national teams in the world. Javier Mascherano, Gabriel Batistuta, Lionel Messi, and Diego Maradona are a few well-known Argentinean athletes.
Peru
In international football, Peru is represented by “La Blanquirroja” (The White and Red), the national football team. The group is acknowledged as one of South America’s established football teams. They have a long history in the sport and have taken part in several FIFA World Cup and Copa America competitions. Among the well-known athletes from Peru are Jefferson Farfán, Héctor Chumpitaz, Teófilo Cubillas, and Paolo Guerrero.
