Argentina defeated Peru in 2026 World Cup

Argentina defeated Peru 1-0 at home on Tuesday in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup thanks to a goal from Lautaro Martinez in the second half. Martinez now shares fifth place with Diego Maradona as the nation’s most scorer.

Ten minutes after halftime, Martinez half-volleyed a Lionel Messi cross into the top-right corner to score his 32nd goal for his country.

“I always do my best, and I’m happy my family came. “We ended a great year with a victory,” Martinez told local television.

This year’s performance, goals, and games were excellent. We have to play and get better every day. Everyone wants to beat us. The attention is always on Argentina’s team. We must continue even though we can get better.

With 25 points, the World Cup champions lead CONMEBOL by five points, ahead of Uruguay. With seven points from 12 games, Peru is at the bottom of the 10-team standings. The top six will automatically go to the US, Mexico, and Canada World Cups.

“We qualified first and won Copa America. Emiliano Martinez, the goalie for Argentina, believes we should be proud.