Messi comes off bench as Argentina win WC qualifier

Sao Paulo: Lionel Messi hit a post twice after he came off the bench but struggled to deliver a strong performance following his return from injury.

Still, Argentina beat Paraguay 1-0 in a South American World Cup qualifying match.

But Argentina’s biggest South American rival left the pitch to some jeers at Cuiab , Brazil after the home side and Venezuela drew 1-1.

The result put pressure on new Brazil coach Fernando Diniz and kept Argentina as the sole leaders of

the round-robin competition with their third victory in three matches. The next World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada is expanding to a 48-team format, meaning direct entry to the top six teams in South America. The seventh-place team will contest an intercontinental playoff for a berth.

Argentina leads South American World Cup qualifying with 9 points, followed by Brazil (7), Colombia (5), Uruguay (4), Chile

(4), Venezuela (4), Ecuador (3), Paraguay (1), Peru (1), and Bolivia (0). All 10 teams will play the fourth round on Tuesday.