Argentina had to work hard to secure the 3-0 victory over Chile at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires during their 2026 Conmebol World Cup qualifying match. Lionel Scaloni’s side outshot Chile 16-5 and maintained 65% possession throughout the match.
Despite the absence of Lionel Messi, who was injured, and Angel Di Maria, who retired from the national team, goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez, and Paulo Dybala ensured that the three-time World Cup winners are in first place, while Chile remains in a rut, sitting in ninth place, just above last-place Peru.
Colo Colo midfielder and former Chile star Arturo Vidal watched the game and did not hold back in his criticism of head coach Ricardo Gareca on his Kick channel, accusing the coach of not even following Chilean soccer.
Arturo Vidal Bashes Ricardo Gareca
Arturo Vidal said during his stream, “That guy (Gareca) doesn’t watch the Libertadores! It seems like he only watches Argentine football matches.” Vidal also belittled Gareca’s coaching abilities, stating, “He needs to stop making things up; football is very simple.”
Jokingly commenting on the match, Vidal said, “The only thing missing is that he makes six substitutions,” once the defeat of Chile was evident.
The implications of the loss for Chile are still uncertain. In a competition where up to seven teams can qualify for the next World Cup, a win against Bolivia at home could potentially move Chile up to fifth place. However, Chile has won only one qualifying match this campaign and lost four.