Argentina minus Messi beats Chile to lead South American WC qualifying

Without injured Lionel Messi and the retired ngel Di Mara, Argentina eased past Chile 3-0 to remain on top of the South American 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 48, Julin lvarez added a goal in the 84th and Paulo Dybala capped the scoring in the 90th for the Argentinians, who have 18 points after the first seven rounds.

The top six teams in the South American standings will qualify for the World Cup which will be played in the United States, Mxico and Canada in 2026, The team that finishes seventh will advance to a playoff against another confederation.

After winning the Copa America in the United States, Argentina overcame the absence of the 37-year-old Messi, who suffered a right ankle injury in the final against Colombia. His future playing status remains uncertain.

Di Mara, who has retired from the national team, was honored by fans and his teammates before the match was played at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

The 37-year-old Di M