Argentina vs Paraguay live score, result, updates, highlights from CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying

By | October 12, 2023
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After a maximum six points from their first two 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Argentina look to stay perfect in continental qualification as they take on pesky Paraguay in Buenos Aires on Thursday.

Lionel Messi is in the squad and likely to play a part, despite fitness concerns over the past month since a muscle problem cropped up in the last international break.

Paraguay managed to keep the match scoreless at home last time they met in 2022 qualifying, and they have been a thorn in Argentina’s side in recent years, managing to secure at least a point in five of their past six meetings while holding Argentina to one goal or less in every single game across that span.

They collected a point across their first two qualifiers in September, drawing with Peru to begin before coughing up a heart-breaking 93rd-minute winner against Venezuela. With the expanded World Cup in 2026 providing a bigger chance, Paraguay will be hopeful of qualifying for their first FIFA tournament since 2010, and every single point will matter towards achieving that goal.

The Sporting News is following the Argentina vs. Paraguay match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

MORE: Where to watch Argentina vs. Paraguay in World Cup qualifying

Argentina vs Paraguay live score

  Score (1H) Goal scorers
Argentina 1 Otamendi (4′)
Paraguay 0 —

Kickoff: 8 p.m. local (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Location: Estadio Monumental (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Referee: Raphael Claus (BRA)

Starting lineups:

Argentina (4-3-3, right to left): 23. E. Martinez (GK) — 21. Molina, 13. Romero, 19. Otamendi, 3. Tagliafico — 7. De Paul, 20. Mac Allister, 8. E. Fernandez — 9. J. Alvarez, 22. L. Martinez, 15. N. Gonzalez.

Paraguay (5-4-1, right to left): 1. C. Coronel (GK) — 14. I. Ramirez, 15. G. Gomez, 5. Balbuena, 6. Alonso, 4. Espinoza — 20. R Sanchez, 8. Campuzano, 10. Almiron, 21. Bareiro — 19. Sosa.

Argentina vs Paraguay live updates, highlights, commentary

Argentina vs Paraguay: First Half

21st min: The first yellow card of the game is shown to Junior Alonso who comes flying into a challenge with Alexis Mac Allister and catches him high on the ankle. A very bad tackle — not quite worthy of a red, but it’s not far off either.

16th min: Ouch, Lautaro Martinez tries to latch onto a wonderful vertical flick from Enzo Fernandez up the gut, but he’s just a split-second too late, and he goes sliding into the ribs of Paraguay goalkeeper Carlos Coronel. That looked painful for the Red Bulls goalie, but he’s ok to continue.

It’s a bit surprising that Lautaro got away with no booking from that really dangerous decision.

13th min: Chance, Argentina! Oh no, it’s a terribly bad miss from Nico Gonzalez. The Argentine winger breaks down the left, and with the Paraguay defense lagging behind, he’s got plenty of room to shoot across the face of goal from a somewhat tight angle.

The “shot” is so bad it’s hard to tell if he was trying to put it on frame or square it for a teammate at the back post, but it’s a tragic attempt either way, as there was nobody anywhere close at the far stick to meet it.

9th min: Paraguay get their first attacking move playing long to the striker, but after a few nervy moments the Argentina defense recovers and gets back on the ball.

4th min: GOAL! ARGENTINA! IT’S A GOLAZO FROM THE CAPTAIN NICOLAS OTAMENDI!

The first corner of the match goes to Argentina, and as Rodrigo de Paul floats it deep and over the pack, it comes to the Argentina defender who produces an absolutely STUNNING whipped volley, and strikes the ball cleanly, blasting it through the trees and into the back of the net!

Kickoff: The match is under way from Buenos Aires! Lionel Messi starts on the bench for Argentina, but should come into the match early in the second half. We’ll see what Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez can do together up front against Paraguay under new management.

Argentina vs Paraguay: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more

15 mins to kickoff: Darwin Nunez deposited a late penalty for Uruguay to share the points with Colombia in a 2-2 draw. It’s far too early to be watching outside results too intently, but regardless, that’s a great result for Paraguay, who will want every CONMEBOL nation outside the top two to drop as many points as possible.

The messier it gets around Paraguay, the better a chance they have of securing a qualifying spot in the expanded World Cup field.

30 mins to kickoff: Paraguay have a new manager, as Daniel Garnero makes his debut as the new permanent boss. He spent the last two years in charge of Paraguayan giants Libertad, taking over for Guillermo Barros Schelotto who was let go after the September qualifiers just three days shy of his two-year hire anniversary.

54-year-old Garnero is an Argentine who made one appearance for the national team as a player, and spent most of his career with Argentine club Independiente. He’s managed at the club level in Paraguay since 2015 with Sol de America, Guarani, and Olimpia before his spell at Libertad.

It’s quite the test for Garnero in his debut match, taking on Lionel Messi and the defending World Cup champions Argentina, his home nation. My intention is always to play with the ball. We must be smart and aggressive in recoveries.” A bold claim by the Paraguay boss.

45 mins to kickoff: This is a really big match for Lautaro Martinez. He’s had an outstanding start to the Serie A season with Inter, scoring 11 goals in 10 matches, but since slumping in the World Cup, he’s yet to recover his national team place.

With Lionel Messi reportedly set to come off the bench at halftime, he will have a short leash tonight with which to break his 11-match scoreless streak at the international level. Time is running out for Lautaro to prove he is still a viable selection option for Lionel Scaloni.

1 hour to kickoff: Lineups are in, and it’s exactly as we thought for Argentina, with Lionel Messi on the bench while the duo of Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez start together for the first time ever. Nicolas Tagliafico retains his left-back spot despite the return of Marcos Acuna.

For Paraguay, however, there’s a host of changes. Ivan Ramirez comes in to play right-back for Robert Rojas for just his fourth international cap. The entire midfield three is swapped out as well, with Mattias Espinoza, Alvaro Campuzano, and Richard Sanchez entering the fray. Adam Bareiro takes over at striker for Gabriel Avalos, earning his debut international cap.

1 hour 15 mins to kick: James Rodriguez scored a golazo in the early match tonight to put Colombia in front of Uruguay 1-0 before halftime. It’s his first-ever goal against Uruguay, giving him a goal against six of the nine CONMEBOL opponents.

Tonight’s opponents, Argentina and Paraguay, represent two of the three teams he still has yet to score against, with Brazil the other. Uruguay had briefly leveled the match early in the second half, but Colombia restored its advantage minutes later.

Watch the James Rodriguez goal vs Uruguay

1 hour 30 mins to kick: With the understanding that Lionel Messi will start tonight’s match on the bench, reports indicate that Nicolas Otamendi will wear the captain’s armband until Messi enters the pitch.

1 hour 45 mins to kick: There was a rumor that Lionel Messi could be headed to Barcelona on loan to cover the gap left by Inter Miami’s failure to qualify for the MLS playoffs, but the rumor never made much sense, and it’s been squashed on numerous fronts.

Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino made light of the rumor in his post-match press conference over the weekend after defeat to FC Cincinnati left them mathematically eliminated, saying that he’d only go to Spain “for fun.” Meanwhie, Fabrizio Romano also shot it down from a journalistic standpoint.

There isn’t enough of a break for him to reasonably integrate with Barcelona, and at 36 years old he’s sure to welcome the extended time off.

2 hours to kickoff: Lionel Messi’s club Inter Miami were eliminated from MLS playoff contention after their latest defeat, a 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati last weekend. Messi had missed the previous four matches but returned to the field for the final 30 minutes. He was powerless to turn the tide of the game, after Inter Miami had missed so many gilt-edged chances in the first half.

Had Inter Miami been still in the playoff hunt, with a potential postseason run on the horizon, Argentina might have played it a bit safer with Messi in this international window. Yet now that his long offseason break is confirmed, Messi may be more aggressive with his minutes here knowing that, after Inter Miami’s final two meaningless regular-season matches, he will only have international breaks to keep him sharp until February.

According to a report earlier today, Messi will not start tonight, but is likely to play much or all of the second half, while Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez both start a national team match for the first time. World Cup hero Mario Kempes is a big fan of that.

Argentina vs Paraguay starting lineups & team news

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni named a bloated 36-man squad for the matches against Paraguay and Peru this month, but Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala, and Juan Foyth were forced to withdraw due to injury. Lisandro Martinez is also unavailable after having to undergo another foot operation.

Now that Inter Miami’s playoff run is officially over, Argentina can feel a little better about deploying Lionel Messi at full 90-minute use despite his recent fitness issues, knowing his club season is nearly over and he’ll have months of rest upcoming. Messi missed the last match against Bolivia, and missed four Inter Miami games after, but he returned for a half-hour of action in their final fixture before the international break. However, he doesn’t start, but is reportedly fit enough to come off the bench for most or all of the second half.

Nicolas Tagliafico started both matches in September, and while Marcos Acuna is back with the team following an injury, the former retains his starting spot. Messi’s club teammate Facundo Farias was also included on the roster but it’d be surprising if he saw the field.

Argentina starting lineup (4-3-3): E. Martinez (GK) — Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico — De Paul, Mac Allister, E. Fernandez — J. Alvarez, L. Martinez, N. Gonzalez.

Argentina subs (12): Armani (GK), Musso (GK), Quarta, Montiel, Acuna, Ocampos, Paredes, Lo Celso, Pezzella, G. Rodriguez, Garnacho, Messi.

Paraguay head coach Daniel Garnero has rung the changes after falling to Venezuela last time out, making five alterations to that starting lineup. The entire midfield is swapped out, while Adam Bareiro takes over at striker, earning his debut international cap in place of Gabriel Avalos.

Forward Miguel Almiron is Paraguay’s most prominent goalscoring threat and is in good form, with three goals in his past five matches for Newcastle United.

Paraguay have questions at goalkeeper, as mainstay Antony Silva has been phased out, leaving three inexperienced internationals currently on the roster. New York Red Bulls starter Carlos Coronel earned his first two caps in the September matches and he remains in net here. Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami teammate Diego Gomez was named to the Paraguay roster but was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Paraguay starting lineup (5-4-1): C. Coronel (GK) — I. Ramirez, G. Gomez, Balbuena, Alonso, Espinoza — R Sanchez, Campuzano, Almiron, Bareiro — Sosa.

Paraguay subs (12): Rojas (GK), Espinola (GK), R. Rojas, Alderete, Avalos, Sanabria, Villaba, Galarza, M. Rojas, A. Romero, Gimenez, Ojeda.

How to watch Argentina vs Paraguay

Following an agreement at the 11th hour of the September international break, broadcast rights for Argentina’s home World Cup qualifiers in the United States have been secured by Telemundo and Univision. That means viewers in the USA can watch this match on Universo, with streaming on Fubo as well as the company’s premium subscription services.

The match is not set to be available globally to regions including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as CONMEBOL has yet to sell broadcast rights to a provider in those territories.

Other territories with broadcast options for this match include Malaysia (Astro Supersport), Argentina (TyC Sports), Brazil (SporTV 2), France (L’Equipe Web), Spain (Movistar), and Saudi Arabia (SSC).

MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA | Watch EPL in Canada

  TV channel Streaming
USA Universo Fubo, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo, Universo NOW
UK  —  —
Australia  —  —
Canada  —  —
India  —  —
New Zealand  —  —
Malaysia Astro Supersport Astro Go, sooka
Singapore  —  —
Hong Kong  —  —

Argentina vs Paraguay betting odds & lines

In Canada, bet CONMEBOL at Sports Interaction: See the latest odds for Argentina vs Paraguay here

  Argentina
win		 Draw Paraguay
win		 Both teams
to score Y / N		 Over / Under
2.5 goals		 ARG
-1.5		 PAR
+1.5
BetMGM
(USA)		 -375 +450 +1050 +145 / -210 -135 / -110 -130 -110

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