CONMEBOL
Lionel Messi suffers second home defeat with Argentina
Messi and Argentina suffered defeat for the fifth time in South American qualifiers.
Argentina’s unbeaten run came to an end with defeat to Uruguay on Thursday. Marcelo Bielsa’s side ran out 2-0 winners at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. Uruguay are only the fifth team to defeat La Albiceleste on home soil.
Thursday was also only the second home defeat in Lionel Messi’s international career. Of the 46 home matches the Inter Miami player has played for the national team, this was only his second loss.
Messi’s home record
The former FC Barcelona player has a record of 32 wins, 12 draws and just one defeat, which came in 2009, when Brazil won 3-1 at the Dr. Lisandro de la Torre stadium.
Interestingly, neither of Argentina’s two defeats came at El Monumental, the home ground of River Plate, where La Albiceleste have a favourable record of 41 wins, 14 draws and two defeats (both without Messi).
Argentina’s other home defeats without Messi
Argentina suffered two other defeats at home, however, Messi was absent for the games against Ecuador in 2015, where they lost 0-2, and in 2016, when they lost 0-1 to Paraguay.
Argentina have played 80 home games in South American qualifiers, winning 56, drawing 20 and losing just five. Of those defeats, three have come away from El Monumental.