One week before the start of the 2021 Copa América, Lionel Messi and Argentina took the field in Santiago del Estero to face off against Chile in World Cup Qualifiers action, and the Barcelona superstar came very close to a perfect night but ultimately couldn’t lead his team to a win at home.
Messi put Argentina ahead after Lautaro Martínez was brought down by Maripán inside the box, and the captain calmly sent Claudio Bravo the wrong way and passed the ball home from the spot:
Chile equalized 15 minutes later through Alexis Sánchez, and then Messi had two massive opportunities to put his nation ahead.