- Argentina secured place in Copa América quarterfinals
- He received treatment for a right thigh
- The pressure is now on Chile
Argentina secured their place in the Copa América quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chile, but the win was overshadowed by a potential injury concern for Lionel Messi.
The Argentine captain received treatment for a right thigh issue during the first half and admitted to some discomfort afterward. “It’s bothering me a bit,” Messi said, “but I was able to finish the match. I hope it’s nothing serious. It was hard for me to move freely. Tomorrow we’ll see how I feel.”
Despite the injury scare, Messi still put in a strong performance, even rattling the post in the first half. Ultimately, it was substitute Lautaro Martínez who stole the show with a game-winning goal in the 88th minute, marking his second consecutive goal in the tournament.
“We knew it would be very physical,” Messi acknowledged. “All the games are physical, and Chile are tough. They had a lot on the line … but we achieved our objective, winning and we’re into the quarterfinals.”
Argentina’s victory makes them the first team to qualify for the knockout stages with one group game remaining against Peru. Coach Lionel Scaloni praised his team’s determination: “We deserved to win. The game wasn’t easy. We won it at the moment you least expected it. The team kept believing and attacking. The win is deserved because Argentina made all the effort, but it was very tough.”
Meanwhile, Lautaro Martínez continues his hot streak for the national team, scoring five goals in his last five appearances. However, he started on the bench against Chile with Julián Álvarez retaining his starting position.
The pressure is now on Chile who need a win against Canada in their final group match to progress. Canada currently sits in a good position after defeating Peru 1-0 earlier on Tuesday.
