Paraguay Stuns Argentina with Spectacular 2-1 Victory in World Cup Qualifiers

A remarkable bicycle kick by Antonio Sanabria and a second-half header from Omar Alderete secured Paraguay a hard-fought 2-1 win over Argentina in the South American World Cup qualifiers on Thursday.

Argentina struck first with Lautaro Martinez finding the net 11 minutes into the match. However, Paraguay quickly equalized when Gustavo Velazquez delivered a cross that met Eduardo Sanabria, who executed a breathtaking overhead kick that left Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with no chance.

The visitors, taken aback, struggled to regain their composure. Just two minutes into the second half, Paraguay defender Alderete capitalized on a free kick, nodding in the ball following a foul by Argentine substitute Leonardo Balerdi on Julio Enciso.

Despite the setback, World Cup champions Argentina remain at the top of the standings with 22 points from 11 matches. Paraguay's victory moves them up to sixth place, level with Uruguay on 16 points, who are set to play on Friday.

The top six teams in the standings are guaranteed spots at the 2026 World Cup finals.