Lionel Messi’s Argentina rescue a draw with 10 players against Colombia at the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Lionel Messi’s Argentina managed to salvage a crucial draw against Colombia in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, despite playing with 10 men at the Estadio Monumental.
Lionel Messi’s Argentina fought back to secure a hard-earned draw against Colombia at the Estadio Monumental during the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, despite being down to 10 players following Enzo Fernández’s red card.
Colombia struck first, courtesy of a fantastic solo effort from Luis Díaz. The Liverpool star tore down the left wing, leaving Argentine defenders behind before cutting inside the box to fire a powerful, low shot into the net, giving his team the lead.
In the second half, Argentina‘s hopes took a major hit when Enzo Fernández was shown a red card after accidentally striking Kevin Castaño in the head. Reduced to 10 players, Argentina refused to back down, pushing forward relentlessly. Their determination paid off as Thiago Almada found the back of the net with a spectacular strike to level the match, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
For Colombia, the draw was a missed opportunity to strengthen their position among the top teams and secure direct World Cup qualification. James Rodríguez and his squad remain in sixth place with 22 points, hovering uncomfortably close to the playoff zone.
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Thanks for joining us!
Argentina and Colombia tied 1-1 at the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and you lived every moment of this game here.
Thanks for staying with us, see you next time!
END OF THE GAME! (1-1)
Argentina and Colombia draw 1-1 for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
90'- Substitution in Argentina (1-1)
Thiago Almada left the field to make way for Leonardo Balerdi.
80'- GOAAAAAAAAL FOR ARGENTINA!!! (1-1)
Thiago Almada scores the equalizer of the game!!!
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77'- Changes in Argentina (0-1)
Lionel Messi and Facundo Medina left the field to make way for Exequiel Palacios and Juan Foyth.
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73'- Substitutions for Colombia (0-1)
Kevin Castaño and James Rodriguez left the field to make way for Jhon Arias and Jorge Carrascal.
71'- Yellow cards in both teams (0-1)
Leandro Paredes received a yellow card for Argentina, while Davinson Sanchez received another one for Colombia.
70' - Red card for Argentina (0-1)
Enzo Fernandez is out of the game, after receiving a red card.
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67'- Gonzalez misses a huge chance! (0-1)
After a free-kick by Messi, Gonzalez's shot went to the post!
62'- Argentina miss the equalizer!
Nico Gonzalez had the first chance with a great shot saved by Mier and then Enzo Fernandez's shot went above Colombia's crossbar.
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60'- What a save by Martinez! (0-1)
Dibu Martinez made a great save after a shot by Richard Rios!
57'- Substitution in Colombia (0-1)
Jaminton Campaz left the field to make way for Andres Roman.
45'- Two changes in Argentina (0-1)
Rodrigo de Paul and Nahuel Molina left the field to make way for Giuliano Simeone and Nicolas Gonzalez.
Win: A win over Argentina would push Colombia to 24 points, placing them firmly in the automatic qualification zone for the 2026 World Cup.
Tie: A draw would move Colombia to 22 points, leaving them at the sixth place, with possibilities of climbing to the fifth place if Brazil drop points against Paraguay.
Loss: A loss would leave Colombia stuck at 21 points, leaving them near playoff zone.
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End of the first half! (0-1)
The game goes to halftime with Colombia leading the score 1-0 over Argentina
45'- First yellow card for Colombia (0-1)
Kevin Castaño received a yellow card after making a foul to Leandro Paredes.
31'- First yellow card of the game (0-1)
Nahuel Molina of Argentina received the first yellow card of the game after making a foul to Machado
23'- GOAAAAL FOR COLOMBIA! (0-1)
Luis Díaz made a fantastic run down the left flank. The Liverpool forward fired a shot from inside the box, scoring the first goal of the match!
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15'- Machado misses a huge chance! (0-0)
After a great assist by James Rodriguez, Deiver Machado shot the ball but went over Argentina's crossbar.
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13'- Colombia had their first chance! (0-0)
After a long run in the left wing from Luis Diaz, the Liverpool forward shot on target but Martinez was there to save it.
3'- Argentina had the first chance! (0-0)
After a smooth combination between Lionel Messi and Thiago Almada, the Inter Miami forward fired a right-footed shot that narrowly missed the target.
GAME ON!
Argentina and Colombia have kicked off the Matchday 16 of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers!
Players are on the pitch!
Players from both countries are on the pitch for the national anthems. Everything is ready for the start of the match.
Track record between Argentina and Colombia
Argentina and Colombia have faced each other 41 times in their history, with Lionel Messi's side holding the advantage. Argentina leads the all-time series with 21 wins, while Colombia have claimed victory 10 times, and 10 matches have ended in draws.
Their most recent meeting took place on September 10, 2024, during the qualifiers in Colombia. On that occasion, Néstor Lorenzo's squad secured a 2-1 win over Argentina.
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Both teams are doing warm-up activities!
Argentina and Colombia are doing warm-up activities on the field. The game will begin at the Estadio Monumental in a few minutes!
Argentina's lineup confirmed!
This is Argentina's starting XI for today's game!
Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Facundo Medina; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Leandro Paredes, Thiago Almada; Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez.
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Colombia's lineup confirmed!
This is the confirmed lineup for Colombia!
Kevin Mier; Daniel Muñoz, Jhon Lucumi, Davinson Sanchez, Deiver Machado; Jefferson Lerma, Kevin Castaño, Richard Rios; James Rodriguez, Jaminton Campaz and Luis Diaz.
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Is Lionel Messi playing for Argentina?
In Argentina’s victory over Chile, captain Lionel Messi came off the bench. However, head coach LionelScaloni confirmed in a press conference that Messi will return to the starting lineup for the clash against Colombia.
“Leo is going to play from the start. We have no doubts, and we hope that people enjoy him and the team,” confirmed Argentina head coach.
Today’s referee
Paraguayan referee JuanGabrielBenítez has been appointed to officiate the Argentina vs. Colombia clash. Benítez has limited experience at the international level, having refereed just five World Cup Qualifying matches. Notably, one of those was Argentina's 1-0 away victory over Uruguay.
The full officiating team for today's game:
Referee: Juan GabrielBenítez (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: EduardoCardozo (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Milcíades Saldívar (PAR)
Fourth Official: Blas Romero (PAR)
VAR: Derlis López (PAR)
Assistant VAR (AVAR): CarlosPaulBenítez (PAR)
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Kick off time and how to watch
The clash between Argentina and Colombia for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers will kick off at 8:00 PM (ET).
Argentina and Colombia clash for Matchday 16 of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Welcome to our live blog of the 2026 UEFA World Cup Qualifiers, where Argentina host Colombia!
The match is set to take place at Buenos Aires' iconic Estadio Monumental as part of the 16th round, with both teams entering under vastly contrasting circumstances.
Stay with us for live, minute-by-minute updates—you won’t want to miss a single moment of this thrilling showdown!
Gianni Taina is a bilingual journalist, fluent in English and Spanish, with a specialization in soccer, the NBA, and tennis. He began his professional career in 2020 with Mundo Deportivo US, where he first established himself as a writer. Throughout his career, Gianni has covered major sports events such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tournaments like the French Open. His ability to report on real-time events and perform well under pressure has made him a valuable member of a top-tier team of journalists. In 2024, he joined Bolavip US, where he now covers a wide range of sports, including European soccer, MLS, and the NBA.
