Lautaro Martinez equaled Diego Maradona’s tally of 32 goals for Argentina in a 1-0 win over Peru in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday. The Inter Milan striker scored a spectacular left-footed volley from a Lionel Messi assist in the 55th minute, marking his 32nd international goal in his 70th appearance. Martinez now shares fifth place on Argentina's all-time scoring list with Maradona, though he remains far behind Messi, who leads with 112 goals.
Martinez’s goal proved to be the only one of the match as Argentina dominated much of the game but failed to extend their lead. Julian Alvarez hit the post, and Alexis Mac Allister sent a header wide as they struggled to convert their dominance into more goals. Despite this, the victory helped Lionel Scaloni's side move five points clear at the top of the South American World Cup qualifying table, with six matches remaining.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay in Salvador was met with jeers from their own supporters. Uruguay took the lead through Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde early in the second half, but Brazil quickly responded with Gerson’s equalizer six minutes later. The result leaves Brazil in fifth place in the standings, still outside the automatic qualification spots for the 2026 World Cup, with the top six earning direct entry.
In other qualifying action, Ecuador triumphed 1-0 over Colombia, thanks to a brilliant solo goal from Enner Valencia, which lifted them above Colombia into third place on goal difference. Paraguay secured a 2-2 draw against Bolivia, with Newcastle’s Miguel Almiron among the scorers, keeping them in sixth place. Bolivia, now in seventh, remains in a playoff position, one point ahead of Venezuela, who were defeated 4-2 by Chile.
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