Home Football Lionel Messi came off the bench for Argentina as Nicolas Otamendi’s early strike gave La Albiceleste a vital 1-0 World Cup qualifier win over Paraguay

Lionel Messi came off the bench for Argentina as Nicolas Otamendi’s early strike gave La Albiceleste a vital 1-0 World Cup qualifier win over Paraguay

Football — 10/13/2023

Argentina beat Paraguay 1-0 on Thursday in a World Cup qualifier. Lionel Messi came off the bench for Argentina.

Image

Messi came on for Julian Alvarez in the 53rd minute. His Major League Soccer (MLS) season will end next weekend, with Inter Miami out of the playoff picture.

The favorite got the only goal in the third minute through Nicolas Otamendi.

Image

With this win, Argentina has won three straight games and is now in first place in South American qualification.

They will go to Lima on Tuesday to play Peru in another playoff. 

Messi was linked to a loan move to Saudi Arabia or Barcelona after Miami was knocked out of the playoff race. The normal season in Major League Soccer won’t start again until February.

Image

Those reports were shot down by Fabrizio Romano on Wednesday, who said that Messi is “fully focused” on Miami and Argentina as he gets ready for a busy November.

Before the World Cup, Messi will likely play against Uruguay and Brazil after the MLS season ends.

Image

There are also rumors that Miami will play two postseason games in China and Japan.