Argentina have already booked their spot in FIFA World Cup 2026, but they continued to show their grit in a 1–1 draw against Colombia in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying on Tuesday night.
Thiago Almada scored the 1–1 goal in the 81st minute, bringing La Albiceleste level after falling behind 1-0 in the first half, and further going down a man when Enzo Fernandez was sent off on a red card in the 71st minute.
The 24-year-old Lyon winger found himself in a central space on a throw-in, and cut inside before beating his defender and sending a shot along the ground to elude the grasp of Kevin Mier in the Colombian goal.
The tying mark came without Lionel Messi on the field, after the 37-year-old came out of the match in the 78th minute, with the hope of adding some energy to the squad as they battled to fight back from the deficit.
Yet, the performance only improved late for Argentina, with Colombia holding firm for most of the match, despite limited possession––which ended 64 percent to 36 percent in favor of Argentina.
The first-half goal from Luis Diaz, though, will live on in the memories of Colombia’s World Cup qualifying campaign, despite it coming in the eventual 1–1 draw.
The Liverpool attacker got on the end of a through ball and quickly sprinted down the left wing, before cutting in and skipping past four Argentine defenders, leading to a splintering shot past Emiliano Martinez to put his side up in the 24th minute.
With the draw, Colombia moved to sixth in the World Cup qualifying table, on 22 points keeping them among the teams that would automatically qualify for next summer’s tournament, and above the seventh place seed which advances to the inter-continental playoff.
Argentina Player Ratings vs. Colombia (4-3-3)
Colombia Player Ratings vs. Argentina (4-3-3)
Player of the Match: Luis Diaz (Colombia)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Argentina 1–1 Colombia: Player Ratings As Thiago Almada Rescues La Albiceleste.
