After nearly 90 minutes of strong play, Lionel Messi and Argentina moved into the Copa America quarterfinals. They beat Chile 1-0 when Lautaro Martínez scored in the 88th minute. Martínez found the net after the ball bounced around in front of Chile’s goal during a chaotic moment.
Martínez described his goal, saying, “The ball ended up right at me and I was able to convert it.” This victory followed Argentina’s earlier 2-0 win over Canada, where Martínez also scored.
The goal started with Messi’s corner kick. Lisandro Martínez headed the ball toward Chile’s goal, causing confusion in the box. The ball eventually came to Argentina’s Giovani Lo Celso, who kicked it off Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. The rebound then went to Chile’s Igor Lichnovsky, who tried to clear it.
Lautaro Martínez, who came into the game in the 73rd minute, calmly scored on the rebound for Argentina’s 21st shot of the match. The goal was confirmed after a three-minute video review, marking Martínez’s 26th goal for his national team.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni praised his team’s effort, saying, “We deserved the win. It was not an easy match. We managed to win at the moment least expected.”
With this win, Argentina leads Group A with six points. They play their final first-round match against Peru in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday.
