Argentina face Paraguay in Matchday 11 of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Messi’s team took a 1-0 lead through Lautaro MartInez‘s goal, but the hosts leveled the score with an incredible overhead kick from Antonio Sanabria that left goalkeeper Emiliano ‘Dibu’ MartInez with no chance to react.
The match began favorably for the reigning world champions, who nearly struck early when Julian Alvarez delivered a low, driven cross that Lautaro Martinez narrowly missed. However, the Inter Milan striker capitalized on another opportunity moments later. Enzo Fernandez provided a delicate assist, allowing Martinez to score the opener, which was subsequently confirmed after a VAR review.
Argentina’s joy was short-lived. Just eight minutes after Lautaro’s goal, the hosts found the equalizer. Paraguay came close with a header that struck the crossbar, but in the ensuing play, Antonio Sanabria connected with a cross from the right and delivered a stunning overhead kick. His spectacular strike left goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with no chance to react, leveling the score at 1-1.
Argentina players angry with the referee
Although Argentina entered halftime tied 1-1, their performance in the first 45 minutes was strong, and they had opportunities to regain the lead. However, a lack of precision in key moments kept them from capitalizing. Yet, that wasn’t the only source of frustration for Lionel Scaloni’s side.
Argentina’s players expressed their anger toward referee Anderson Daronco over what they believed was a pivotal missed call. Near the end of the first half, Paraguayan defender Omar Alderete fouled Lionel Messi, halting a potentially dangerous attack. Scaloni’s team argued that Alderete deserved a second yellow card, which would have left Paraguay with 10 players. However, the referee decided against issuing the card, allowing Paraguay to continue with a full squad.
