The inevitable Lionel Messi (38.) opened the score with a somewhat special goal. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker steamed up a few minutes before half-time, with the ball at his foot. More than 30 meters from the goal, he gave a deep pass to Nicolas Gonzalez with the outside of his left foot. Imagine if you were betting on Meridian that he would score such a goal!
Both his teammate and keeper Fernando Muslera of Uruguay missed the ball, which went straight into the goal. Rodrigo De Paul (44.) signed for the 2-0 shortly before the break, Lautaro Martinez (62.) decided the game after more than an hour of play.
Chile also beat Paraguay 2-0 and Bolivia beat Peru 1-0. Venezuela finally kept the points at home against Ecuador (2-1).
In the standings, Brazil, which can almost book its ticket for Qatar, is in the lead with 28 points from ten matches. Argentina (also 10 games) follows in second with 22 points. Both teams are the only teams to have only ten games left after their game against each other in São Paulo was improbably canceled by Brazilian health authorities at the beginning of September. The other countries have already played eleven matches. Ecuador and Uruguay (16 each) complete the top four, ahead of Colombia (15).
The top four qualify directly for the World Cup. The number five plays an intercontinental jump-off.