Paraguay vs Argentina LIVE: Messi, Lautaro and Julian to play, how to watch 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Paraguay face each other for Matchday 11 of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers at Defensores del Chaco stadium. Learn the kick-off time, lineups and everything of what's going on with the match with our live updates.
Paraguay host Argentina for Matchday 11 of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers at Defensores del Chaco stadium. La Albiceleste, led by Lionel Messi, want to add three more points to maintain their spot at the top of the CONMEBOL standings. Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez will play alongside the No. 10. Don’t miss any moment from the action thanks to our live blog. We’ve also have all the updates such as lineups, kick-off time and more.
Lionel Scaloni’s men are coming from a decisive win against Bolivia in Buenos Aires, while Gustavo Alfaro’s side defeated Venezuela 2-1 in their last match. It will be a tough game for both teams, as Argentina hasn’t won in Paraguay since 2013. If you want to watch the match in the US, it will be available on Fanatiz.
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Player to watch: Antonio Sanabria
Argentina’s defense has to watch out for Antonio ‘Tony’ Sanabra, one of the most prolific players from Paraguay. The Torino’s forward has three goals in six matches in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
Paraguay's forward Antonio Sanabria (Christian Alvarenga/Getty Images)
Lionel Messi is one assist away to equalize international all-time record
Messi has another record on sight. If the Argentine captain provides one more assist today, he can equalize USMNT’s Landon Donovan’s record of 58 international assists.
Paraguay's lineup confirmed!
Paraguay will play against Argentina with this lineup: Roberto Fernandez; Gustavo Velazquez, Gustavo Gomez, Omar Alderete, Junior Alonso; Miguel Almiron, Damian Bobadilla, Andres Cubas, Diego Gomez; Julio Enciso and Tony Sanabria.
Argentina to play with Lautaro, Messi and Julian
Just as against Bolivia, Argentina are going to play with their dangerous trio: Lautaro Martinez, Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez. In their last match, Messi not only scored a hat-trick, but he provided two assists for both Alvarez and Martinez.
Lionel Messi’s record against Paraguay
While Argentina has the better record against Paraguay in the head to head, in the past few years La Albirroja has been a tough opponent for them. Here’s Messi record against their upcoming rival:
Played: 13
Won: 6
Drawn: 5
Lost: 2
Goals: 5
Assists: 5
Lionel Messi of Argentina runs the field (Daniel Jayo/Getty Images)
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Today’s stage: Defensores del Chaco Stadium
Paraguay hosts the World Champions at Defensores del Chaco stadium, which has a capacity for 42,354 people. The last time La Albiceleste played in this same stage, they were held to a goalless draw in a match for the 2022 World Cup Qualifying.
A view inside Defensores del Chaco Stadium (Nathalia Aguilar - Pool/Getty Images)
Is Lionel Messi playing? Argentina's lineup confirmed!
Lionel Messi is in the starting lineup! According to journalist Gaston Edul, Argentina is playing with:
Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cuti Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister; Lionel Messi; Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
Today's referee
Today’s referee is Brazilian Anderson Daronco.
He officiated three matches for La Albiceleste: two victories, a 3-1 win over Ecuador in 2017 (the match where Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia), and a 2-1 win against Chile in Calama in 2022. He was also in one draw, precisely a goalless match against Paraguay in Asunción in 2021.
Referee: Anderson Daronco
Assistant 1: Bruno Pires
Assistant 2: Rafael Alves
Fourth official: Rafael Klein
VAR: Rodolpho Toski
AVAR: Rodrigo Nunes
Kick-off time and how to watch
The clash between Paraguay and Argentina for the Matchday 11 of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers will kick off at 6:30 PM (ET).
If you want to watch the match in the US, it will be available for viewers on Fanatiz.
Paraguay host Argentina for Matchday 11 of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
Welcome to our live blog of the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers match between Paraguay and Argentina!
International soccer returns with an exciting date of World Cup Qualifiers. Argentina want to maintain their place atop of the CONMEBOL standings with a victory against Paraguay at El Defensores del Chaco in Asuncion.
Stay with us so you don't miss a single thing with minute by minute updates!
Natalia is a sports journalist at Bolavip US, where she covers soccer, tennis, and the broader sports world. She also works as an entertainment journalist at Spoiler US, focusing on the film industry, series, reality TV, and celebrity news. With a diverse background that includes reporting on sports, fashion, and culture, she brings a rich and varied perspective to her current roles. Natalia holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Media from the Universidad Central of Venezuela (UCV) and has over eight years of experience in digital media. She has previously contributed her bilingual skills in English and Spanish to outlets such as Revista Exclusiva and Cambio16.
