Without injured Lionel Messi and retired Ángel Di María, Argentina easily defeated Chile 3-0 on Thursday to stay at the top of the South American 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Alexis Mac Allister scored the first goal in the 48th minute, Julián Álvarez added another in the 84th, and Paulo Dybala finished the scoring in the 90th minute. Argentina now has 18 points after the first seven matches.
The top six teams in the South American qualifiers will secure a spot in the World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in 2026. The team that finishes seventh will enter a playoff against a team from another region.
Following their Copa America win in the United States, Argentina managed to win without Messi, who is dealing with a right ankle injury sustained in the final against Colombia. His future playing status is still uncertain.
Before the match at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Di María, who has retired from the national team, was honored by fans and teammates.
He played his last game for Argentina in the 1-0 victory over Colombia in the Copa America final and had been with the national team for 16 years.
Afterward, the team showed off their Copa America trophy around the stadium.
Earlier, Bolivia took advantage of playing at a higher altitude in their new host city to beat Venezuela 4-0, marking their second win in four home matches.
Ramiro Vaca scored the first goal in the 13th minute, Carmelo Algarañaz made it 2-0 with a penalty kick in the 45th, Miguel Terceros added a goal in the 46th, and Enzo Monteiro scored in the 89th minute.
Bolivia used to play in La Paz at 3,640 meters (11,940 feet) above sea level, but CONMEBOL allowed them to move their games to El Alto, which is at an altitude of 4,150 meters (13,615 feet).
