Argentina defeated Peru thanks to a great goal by Lautaro Martinez in the second half, after a Lionel Messi assist. With the win, they are still atop of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying standings.
By Natalia Lobo
By Natalia Lobo
Argentina defeated Peru 1-0 thanks to a spectacular goal by Lautaro Martinez, after a Lionel Messi assist. La Albiceleste maintain their top spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers standings with 25 points.
While the hosts were clearly the superior team, just as in their last match against Paraguay, they struggled to create clear chances to open the scoring. In the first half, only Julian Alvarez (with a shot that hit the post) and Alexis Mac Allister (with two headers) brought danger to Pedro Gallese’s goal.
However, at the 55th minute of the second half, the team combined in a beautiful play which culminated in Messi’s great assist for Martinez to score with a kind-of overheard kick. The goal was enough for them to end the year on a positive note.
Thanks to Lautaro Martinez’s goal, Argentina got a win against Peru at La Bombonera. Lionel Scaloni’s men end the year at the top of the standings.
That was all for today! Thank you for being with us!
End of the match! Argentina defeated Peru 1-0 at La Bombonera.
Leandro Paredes and Facundo Medina replace Alexis Mac Allister and Leonardo Balerdi.
Carlos Zambrano sees the yellow card after a tackle over Enzo Fernandez.
Jose Rivera replaces Andy Polo. While Pedro Quispe enters for Sergio Peña.
Lautaro Martinez and Rodrigo de Paul were replaced by Giuliano Simeone and Giovani Lo Celso.
Messi with the deep pass to Mac Allister, who once again had an opportunity against Pedro Gallese. However, the match is still 1-0.
Gonzalo Montiel is replaced by Nehuén Pérez.
Oliver Sonne and Alex Valera are replaced by Bryan Reyna and Edison Flores.
Paolo Guerrero leaves the pitch, Gianluca Lapadula replaces him.
Julian Alvarez with a cross to Messi, who couldn’t shoot. Before, Rodrigo de Paul had a chance but his shot went wide.
Here’s the video of Lautaro’s goal:
¡G⚽️L DE ARGENTINA! 🐂 Asistencia perfecta de Leo para que el Toro abra el marcador con un golazo descomunal 🤯 10′ ST | 🇦🇷 Argentina 1 – 0 Perú 🇵🇪 Mirá #ArgentinaXTelefe con los comentarios de @jpvarsky y los relatos de @giraltpablo por MiTelefe.com/vivo 📺
Argentina finally scores the first goal! Lautaro Martinez after a great assist by Messi!
Both teams came back to the pitch with the same players. Argentina are still looking for their first goal.
Argentina and Peru are playing the second half!
The first half is gone! Argentina and Peru are still tied without goals at La Bombonera. The hosts had their chances, two Mac Allister’s headers and Julian Alvarez hit the post, but couldn’t score.
The referee has added two more minutes before the end of the first half.
Miguel Araujo sees the yellow card. First yellow card of the match.
Lionel Messi takes the free-kick, but it end up in Pedro Gallese’s hands.
After a free-kick, Mac Allister once again found the ball in the box, but couldn’t score.
Argentina have the ball and are pressing Peru into their box. However, they still don’t have any shots on targets. The clearest chance was by Julian Alvarez, who sent the ball to the goalpost.
After 30 minutes suffering Argentina’s control, Peru were able to bring some danger to Emiliano Martinez’s box. However, everything ended up in nothing due to offside.
Mac Allister had a great opportunity to score the first goal of the night, but his header shot went wide.
While Argentina control the ball, they can’t find spaces to create danger.
Enzo Fernandez recovered the ball in midfield and passed it to Alexis Mac Allister, who combined with Julian Alvarez. Alvarez took a shot, but Pedro Gallese easily saved it.
Another great play by the hosts! This time, it was Gonzalo Montiel who couldn’t find the net.
Rodri De Paul with a long-pass to Alexis Mac Allister, but he can’t find anyone in the box. Argentina are getting closer to the first goal.
Nicolas Otamendi stops a dangerous attack from Guerrero. Corner kick for Peru.
Messi played Montiel in, but Tagliafico’s shot cleared the bar. Argentina are controlling the ball in the first minutes.
The match between Argentina and Peru for Matchday 12 of FIFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers is on!
Players from both countries are on the pitch for the national anthems. Everything is ready for the start of the match.
Argentina has held the top spot in the FIFA Men’s Rankings for the past 18 months, breaking their own record of 11 months. But they could lose their lead if they don’t beat Peru, especially after France’s recent win.
Messi has a perfect record against Peru, remaining unbeaten in nine encounters. He’s netted three goals, provided one assist, and guided his teams to a record of six wins and three draws.
Argentina return to Estadio Alberto J. Armando stadium, mostly known as La Bombonera. It has a capacity of 54,000 people. The last time La Albiceleste played in Boca Juniors’ stadium, it was against Uruguay in November 2023. The hosts lost 2-0.
Fans cheer prior to the South American FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match between Argentina and Peru at Estadio Alberto J. Armando (Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
Argentina will wear a special kit tonight, which Adidas released to celebrate 50 years since they first partnered in 1974.
#Eliminatorias Mirá lo que es esa camiseta 🔥🇦🇷
According to RPP Noticias, Peru is going to play with: Pedro Gallese; Miguel Araujo, Carlos Zambrano, Alexander Callens; Oliver Sonne, Jesus Castillo, Andy Polo, Sergio Peña, Luis Advincula; Paolo Guerrero and Alex Valera.
Luis Advíncula of Peru controls the ball during the South American Qualifier match between Peru and Chile (Daniel Apuy/Getty Images)
The referee of tonight’s match between Argentina and Peru is Colombian Wilmar Roldan. He has officiated several matches for La Albiceleste. The last one took place in 2023, when Argentina was defeated by Uruguay.
Argentina’s line up has been confirmed by journalist Gaston Edul. The team that will face Peru consists of: Emiliano Martinez; Gonzalo Montiel, Leonardo Balerdi, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister; Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
It will be Messi’s last match of 2024.
Lionel Messi of Argentina looks on (Christian Alvarenga/Getty Images)
The clash between Argentina and Peru for the Matchday 12 of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers will kick off at 7:00 PM (ET).
If you want to watch the match between Argentina and Peru in the US, you have several options: Fubo (free trial), Telemundo, DirecTV Stream, ViX.
Welcome to our live blog of the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers match between Argentina and Peru!
The two teams will face each other at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina. La Albiceleste, with Lionel Messi, want to end the year with a win, after coming from a 2-1 defeat against Paraguay.
Stay with us so you don’t miss a single thing with minute by minute updates!
Natalia is a sports journalist at Bolavip US, where she covers soccer, tennis, and the broader sports world. She also works as an entertainment journalist at Spoiler US, focusing on the film industry, series, reality TV, and celebrity news. With a diverse background that includes reporting on sports, fashion, and culture, she brings a rich and varied perspective to her current roles. Natalia holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Media from the Universidad Central of Venezuela (UCV) and has over eight years of experience in digital media. She has previously contributed her bilingual skills in English and Spanish to outlets such as Revista Exclusiva and Cambio16.
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