Argentina edged out Chile in a narrow victory, securing the first ticket to the quarter-finals of the 2024 Copa America. At the start of the match, Argentina dominated the first half. The Argentine attack even hit the Chilean post, while luck eluded Messi and his teammates.

In the second half, the reigning champions continued to control the match, but missed several key opportunities. In the 61st minute, Nicolás González had a quick shot that almost ended in a goal, with goalkeeper Bravo standing still. Unfortunately for Argentina, the ball hit the crossbar, leaving the team frustrated.

Before the final 15 minutes of regulation time, stars Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria came on to strengthen the attack. In the final minutes, the referee ignored two fouls in and near the penalty area by both teams. In the 88th minute, substitute Martinez opened the scoring. After a second consecutive corner kick by Messi, Martinez took advantage to score on a rebound after a save by Bravo. However, relief for the Argentine players and fans only came after the referee consulted with the VAR team. In the remaining time, Chile was forced to advance into Argentina’s half. In the final minute of added time, Di Maria made a counterattack, giving Martinez the chance to make it a brace. However, his shot was saved by Bravo’s effort. Before that, Canada secured its first victory by defeating Peru 1-0, securing second place in the group after two games.

With this result, Argentina remains at the top of the group with two wins (6 points) and officially secures first place in the round of 16 of the 2024 Copa América.