Argentina are leading Peru 1-0 on Matchday 12 of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, with Lionel Messi playing a key role in Lautaro Martinez’s stunning goal.

Argentina are taking on Peru on Matchday 12 of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. After suffering a 2-1 defeat to Paraguay last Thursday, Lionel Scaloni‘s team entered this match determined to secure a strong result in Buenos Aires and close out the year on a high note. Thanks to a brilliant assist from Lionel Messi and a stunning finish by Lautaro Martinez, they’re on track to do just that.

During the opening half, Argentina controlled the tempo with confident ball possession and territorial dominance. However, their inability to capitalize on key opportunities kept the match scoreless. Julian Alvarez came closest to breaking the deadlock with a shot that hit the post, while Alexis Mac Allister narrowly missed with a header that went just wide.

The world champions carried their possession-based approach into the second half but sharpened their execution in the attacking third. Ten minutes after the restart, Lionel Messi orchestrated a brilliant play, delivering a perfectly timed assist to Lautaro Martinez. The striker executed a daring pirouette, reminiscent of an overhead kick, resulting in a spectacular goal that electrified the Buenos Aires crowd.

Martinez matches a historic milestone in Argentina

With his goal against Peru, Lautaro Martinez has etched his name into Argentina’s history books. The striker now has 32 goals in 70 appearances for the national team, equaling the legendary Diego Armando Maradona’s tally, achieved during his iconic career with Argentina from 1977 to 1994.

Martinez’s achievement places him fifth on Argentina’s all-time scoring list. Ahead of him are only four other legends: Lionel Messi (112), Gabriel Batistuta (54), Sergio Aguero (41), and Hernan Crespo (35). With time on his side, Martinez is well-positioned to climb even higher in the ranks of Argentina’s most prolific scorers.