The Argentine national team is preparing to face Paraguay in a match of the eleventh round of the South American Qualifiers. The team led by Lionel Scaloni tops the table with 22 points and will seek to add another victory to get even closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. In their last match, Argentina defeated Bolivia 6-0 with an outstanding performance by Lionel Messi, who scored a hat-trick and provided two assists.
On the other hand, Paraguay, under the direction of Gustavo Alfaro, is sixth in the table with 13 points and is looking to remain in direct qualification zone. In their last home match, they managed to defeat Venezuela 2-1. The match will take place at the Defensores del Chaco stadium, with a capacity for 42,354 spectators.
In previous encounters between Argentina and Paraguay in the South American Qualifiers for different World Cups, exciting and decisive matches have been witnessed. In the road to the 2006 World Cup, Paraguay won 1-0 taking advantage of their home field, while in the Qualifiers for South Africa 2010, the Paraguayans also won 1-0 in a tense match for Argentina.
In contrast, in the Qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup, Argentina thrashed Paraguay 5-2 as a visitor, sealing their qualification decisively. In the road to Russia 2018, both teams drew goalless in a match that marked the fate of each team in that qualification.
In their last visit to Paraguay in 2021, after Argentina's triumph in the Copa América, the match again ended in a 0-0 draw. While Argentina qualified undefeated for the World Cup, Paraguay finished in eighth place, adding another frustration in the Qualifiers.
