#Headline Creation Challenge#At 8:00 a.m. Beijing time on November 17, the 5th round of the South American zone of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers ushered in a key battle: Argentina VS Uruguay.
Argentina is the champion of the 2022 World Cup and the leader of the South American zone of this World Preliminary Tournament, after winning four consecutive games and accumulating 12 points to lead.
Uruguay did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup group, with 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss in the first 4 rounds of this World Preliminary Tournament, accumulating 7 points, and ranking second with a goal difference advantage over Brazil and Venezuela with the same points.
Yes, Argentina started in a 433 formation, Alvarez, Messi, and Gonzalez formed a forward trident, midfielders Enzo, McAllister, De Paul, four defenders Tagliafico, Otamendi, Romero, Molina, and goalkeeper Martinez. The starting eleven is worth a total of 480 million euros.
This is basically the strongest starting XI for the defending World Cup champions.
Uruguay started the 4231 formation, center Nunez, Maximiliano Arauyo, De La Cruz, Pellistri in the forward line, Valverde and Ugarte in the double back, Viña, Oliveira, Sebastian, Araujo, and goalkeeper Rochte. The total value of the starting eleven is 350 million euros.
Veteran Suarez sat on the bench. After the 2022 World Cup group stage, Uruguay have clearly accelerated the process of changing the squad, with the average age of the starting team being only 24.1 years old, compared to the average age of the starting eleven against Argentina at 27.7 years old.
After the opening of the game, the defending World Cup champions, led by Messi and full of famous players, did not have an advantage at all.
In the 10th minute, Nunez received a long pass from his teammates into the penalty area and hit the goal, which was slightly off.
In the 12th minute, Uruguay's counterattack came again, Pellistri curled diagonally into the penalty area, and Maximiliano's shot was confiscated by Argentine goalkeeper Martinez.
For more than 100 years, the game between Argentina and Uruguay has always been full of gunpowder, and this game is no exception. In the 20th minute, Romero was brought down by Maximiliano on the wing, and a clash broke out between the two sides, with Messi stepping forward and choking Oliveira's neck. The referee didn't say anything.
In the 41st minute, Viña made a successful forward Molina, and then crossed the bottom, Araujo followed up with a burst shot, and the goal went in! Argentina fell behind Uruguay 0:1 at home.
In the 87th minute, Uruguay counterattacked, De La Cruz went straight to the ball, Nunez took the ball in the middle circle and drove all the way in, entered the penalty area to form a single knife, and calmly hit the goal in the face of Martinez. and the same Nunez who wasted opportunities in Liverpool, it is almost like two people.
Argentina, on the other hand, lost 0:2 at home, the first loss since losing 1:2 to Saudi Arabia in the first round of the 2022 World Cup group stage. For the first time in nearly 103 years, Argentina was outscored by Uruguay by more than one goal at home.
At the end of the battle, Argentina accumulated 12 points from 5 games, 4 wins and 1 loss, and still ranked first in the South American standings of the World Preliminaries, Uruguay rose to second with 10 points from 5 games, 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss, and Brazil, which lost 1:2 to Colombia in this round, fell to fifth.