In a historic upset at Buenos Aires' iconic Bombonera stadium, Uruguay delivered a statement win by defeating Lionel Messi's world champions Argentina 2-0.
The gritty performance saw goals from Ronald Araújo and Darwin Núñez in each half, propelling Uruguay to second place in the World Cup qualifying standings. Argentina, who had been undefeated in their last five games in the South American qualifiers, dropped their first points and experienced their first loss since the 2022 World Cup. Messi acknowledged Uruguay's intensity, noting the challenges posed by their physical and fast midfield players.
The defeat ended Messi's remarkable streak of nine straight starts for Argentina with a goal, emphasizing the significance of Uruguay's tactical prowess under new head coach Marcelo Bielsa.
As Argentina faces a rare setback, Messi sees the loss as a valuable test, gearing up for the next challenge against Brazil. The shifting dynamics in the World Cup qualifiers now see Colombia in third place, Venezuela trailing by one point, and Ecuador and Brazil closely positioned in the standings.
