Argentina scored two goals within minutes before the end of the first half, one of which came in a peculiar manner from Lionel Messi, to win 3-0 against Uruguay in the South American qualifiers for the "Qatar 2022" World Cup. Messi opened the scoring eight minutes before halftime when he sent a 35-meter pass into the penalty area that striker Nicolás González failed to reach, allowing it to go past goalkeeper Fernando Muslera into the net.
Six minutes later, Lautaro Martínez missed a chance to add a second goal, but the ball went to his teammate Rodrigo De Paul, who placed it into the goal. Martínez redeemed himself by scoring the third goal after a low cross from De Paul, 17 minutes into the second half.
With this victory, Argentina raised its points to 22, narrowing the gap with the leading Brazil to six points after the latter could only manage a goalless draw against their hosts Colombia. In contrast, Uruguay remained at 16 points in fourth place. The top four positions qualify directly for the finals in Qatar, while the fifth-place team will enter the international playoff.
