Messi fades, Argentina lucky to draw with Colombia in 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Despite having to play with one less player, Messi and the Argentina team still kept 1 point after a draw with Colombia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America on the morning of June 11.

Messi had an ineffective day against Colombia - Photo: REUTERS

The match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in South America at Monumental Stadium saw Argentina struggle to hold Colombia to a 1-1 draw.

It was a lackluster day for Messi, and Argentina had to play with one less man for the remaining 20 minutes of the match. Despite maintaining their top spot, the performance of coach Lionel Scaloni's team still left many points worth discussing.

Colombia took the lead in the 24th minute through Liverpool forward Luis Diaz, a goal that served as a warning to the Argentine defence, despite their dominance in midfield.

In the 70th minute, the game changed completely. Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez made a dangerous high tackle, causing a Colombian player to fall to the ground.

The referee did not hesitate to show Fernandez a straight red card, sending him off. This was considered a disastrous moment, putting Argentina at a huge disadvantage as they had to play with 10 men for the remaining time.

However, with the spirit of a top team, Argentina demonstrated a brave fighting spirit.

Despite facing a numerical disadvantage, they still found an equalizer in the 81st minute. From Palacios' delicate pass, young player Thiago Almada finished accurately, leveling the score at 1-1, saving Argentina from a defeat right on their home field.

Throughout the match, Argentina showed clear dominance in the midfield with the presence of stars such as Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul and Enzo Fernandez (before receiving a red card).

They controlled the ball most of the time and created many good chances. However, the lack of sharpness in the attack, especially Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez, meant that these opportunities were not successfully exploited.

Notably, Lionel Messi had an ineffective match in terms of attack. He played 78 minutes but did not have any shots on target. Instead, Messi often dropped deep to participate in the construction of the play.

He only created 1 scoring chance for his teammates, had an 80% passing accuracy rate and had 87 touches of the ball. This is a rather modest statistic compared to Messi's usual level.

Despite only getting a draw, this result does not affect Argentina's position in the 2026 World Cup qualifying rankings in South America. Coach Scaloni's team is still firmly in the top position with 35 points, 10 points ahead of the second-placed team, Ecuador.

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TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/messi-mo-nhat-argentina-may-man-hoa-colombia-tai-vong-loai-world-cup-2026-20250611100204811.htm