Messi's magic worked! Argentina's spectacular win, a shock to Brazil?

Buenos Aires: Argentina won in the Latin American zone of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers while Brazil had to settle for a draw. Argentina defeated Peru by one goal in a one-sided match, while Brazil tied with Uruguay 1-1. All three goals scored in both matches were excellent.

Argentina made a comeback in the Latin American qualifying round with a one-goal win at the La Bombonera Stadium in Buenos Aires. Argentina fielded a strong starting eleven against Peru, including the legendary Lionel Messi. Striker Lautaro Martinez's brilliant goal in the 55th minute gave the defending champion Argentina the win. Martinez scored the winning goal through a volley on Messi's cross. Messi's team completely neutralized Peru in ball possession and attack. Peru could not hit a single shot on target.

On the other hand, former champions Brazil were forced to play a draw for the second consecutive match. Uruguay went ahead in the 55th minute at the Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador through a goal from Real Madrid superstar Fede Valverde. Valverde scored a lightning-fast goal from outside the box. In the 62nd minute, Gerson equalized for Brazil after Uruguay made a mistake in clearance. The goal came through a brilliant half-volley. Despite regaining energy, the Canaries could not score the winning goal later on. In the last match too, Brazil tied with Venezuela 1-1.

Argentina is at the top of the Latin American qualifiers with 25 points after 12 matches have been completed. Uruguay is in second place with 20 points. Brazil is in fifth place with 18 points.