Paraguay stunned Argentina with a 2-1 victory in their South American World Cup qualifying match on Thursday, thanks to an exquisite bicycle kick from Antonio Sanabria and a powerful second-half header by Omar Alderete.
The match got off to a fast start with Argentina taking the lead in the 11th minute. Enzo Fernandez launched a deep pass that found Lautaro Martinez, whose thunderous shot into the net was initially flagged for offside.
However, after a VAR review, the goal was upheld, giving the visitors the early advantage.
Paraguay responded quickly, with Gustavo Gomez coming close to equalizing when his header from a corner struck the crossbar.
The home side remained resilient and soon after had their breakthrough. A precise cross from Gustavo Velazquez found Sanabria, who executed a stunning bicycle kick that left Argentina’s goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, rooted to the spot.
The goal left Argentina reeling, and their star player, Lionel Messi, struggled to make an impact on the game in the first half, with only one attempt at goal that went wide.
Messi was also fouled twice by Paraguay’s Alderete, but much to the visitors’ frustration, referee Anderson Daroco refrained from issuing a second yellow card to the defender before the halftime whistle.
The second half began with another blow to Argentina’s hopes. Just two minutes in, Paraguay doubled their lead when Alderete rose to meet a free kick, sending the ball past Emiliano Martinez for a header that gave the hosts a commanding 2-1 advantage. The goal came after a foul on Julio Enciso by Argentina’s Leonardo Balerdi.
Argentina pushed for a response, and Rodrigo de Paul had the best chance to pull them level in the 70th minute.
After a breakaway, de Paul failed to control the ball properly, and his shot went wide of the target, summing up Argentina’s lackluster performance.
Despite some nervous moments, Paraguay’s defense held firm and successfully weathered Argentina’s late attacks.
“We played a great game overall,” said Paraguay striker Lautaro Martinez. “We controlled the ball, but their goals came from two of our mistakes. We need to fix our lapses on set pieces.”
Argentina head coach, Lionel Scaloni, also reflected on the defeat, acknowledging the difficulty of the match, “The (goal) at the start of the second half made everything more difficult. We have to congratulate the opponent, who defended very well.”
The result leaves Argentina sitting atop the South American World Cup qualifiers with 22 points from 11 matches.
They will host ninth-placed Peru on Tuesday. Paraguay, meanwhile, climbed to sixth place with 16 points, just behind Ecuador, who won 4-0 against Bolivia, and Uruguay, who will play second-placed Colombia on Friday.
The top six teams in the standings will secure a place in the 2026 World Cup.
