Lionel Messi came off the bench as Argentina, the World Cup champions, won 1-0 against Chile in a World Cup qualifying match Thursday night.

Argentina beat Chile 1-0 on Matchday 15 of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, thanks to a goal from Julian Alvarez in the first half.

Argentina is showing signs of economic recovery, but growing unrest over austerity measures and cuts to healthcare, education and pensions continues to fuel tensions nationwide.

Lionel Messi is back in the fold for Argentina this week as the reigning world champions, who have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, return to action against Chile.

Chile predicted lineup vs Argentina (4-3-3): Cortés; Loyola, Maripán, Sierralta, Suazo; Vidal, Echeverria, Pizarro; Osorio, Sanchez, Valdés. Lionel Messi is back with the national team after a seventh-month layoff, and the all-time great currently leads the CONMEBOL qualifying scoring charts with six goals.

Lionel Messi played his first match for Argentina since November last week, though his absence has not stopped the team in their tracks.

Argentina defeated Chile at the National Stadium of Santiago, on the 15th date of the Conmebol Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The team led by Lionel

La Roja’s hopes of representing next World Cup seems to be over after Argentina's Lionel Messi embraces Franco Mastantuono after winning the 2026 Fifa World Cup South American qualifiers against Chile in Santiago on Thursday. AFP The 17-year-old ...