Argentina, despite resting captain Lionel Messi, secured a comfortable 3-0 victory against Bolivia during the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.
In the ansence of Argentina superstar Messi , Angel Di Maria assumed the captaincy and excelled, contributing two assists in the first half of the match. Di Maria expressed his pride, saying, “It’s two games in, we knew it was important to get six points for what’s to come. Receiving the captain’s armband from the best player in the world is unbelievable, and I’m very proud.”
Enzo Fernandez, representing Chelsea, opened the scoring with a close-range finish from Di Maria’s cross, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead after 30 minutes. Fernandez, in his first match in La Paz, the world’s highest capital city at 3625 meters above sea level, mentioned the challenge of the altitude but felt he adapted well: “I’m a bit choked, the altitude feels a lot, but I adapted well. The game is like that; it’s hard to catch my breath, but I felt very good.”
Bolivia’s troubles escalated as Roberto Fernandez received a red card for a harsh tackle on Cristian Romero, reducing them to 10 players. Nicolas Tagliafico extended Argentina’s lead by scoring his first international goal with a header from a Di Maria free kick in the 42nd minute. The win was sealed by Nicolas Gonzalez’s powerful strike in the 83rd minute.
In other second-round CONMEBOL qualifier matches, Uruguay faced Ecuador, Venezuela hosted Paraguay, Colombia took on Chile, and Brazil visited Peru later on Tuesday.
