BUENOS AIRES: Lautaro Martinez’s goal gave Argentina a 1-0 win over Peru on Tuesday in a South American qualifying match in Buenos Aires and left the hosts close to a spot in the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada.

Their main continental rivals Brazil drew 1-1 against Uruguay in Salvador, Brazil with two impressive goals in an otherwise lackluster match. Federico Valverde gave Uruguay the lead with a curled shot from the edge of the box, and Gerson netted his first for Brazil in similar fashion at the Arena Fonte Nova.

Argentina lead South American qualifying with 25 points from 12 matches, five points clear of their closest competitor, Uruguay. Ecuador and Colombia are next with 19 points each.

Brazil lag in fifth position with 18 points after several uninspiring performances, still hoping that striker Neymar will return from injury and fit in again. Paraguay, with 17 points, are in sixth place.

South American qualifying will give six direct berths in the next World Cup. Seventh-place Bolivia, with 13 points, are in the international playoff position. Venezuela (12), Chile (9), and Peru (7) are out of qualifying spots.

The next round of South American World Cup qualifying will be played in March.

Uninspiring Argentina

Martinez’s goal was his 32nd for the national team, which puts him level with the legendary Diego Maradona.

Until Martinez scored, Argentina’s best chance was in the 21st minute, when striker Julian Alvarez hit the Peruvian goalkeeper’s right post. Messi once again had a modest performance, as he did in his team’s 2-1 defeat at Paraguay on Thursday.

Messi crossed the ball in the penalty area in the 55th minute to give Martinez one of the few clear opportunities of the match. The striker moved his body with more grace than power to put the ball in the back of the next.

Despite the disappointing performance at home, Lionel Messi’s team will finish the year with few question marks beyond its performances in November.

“We won Copa America, we lead South American World Cup qualifying,” said goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. “We must be proud of ourselves.”

Jeers for Brazil

Brazil fans at home in Salvador jeered their team after the final whistle. In a match with few opportunities for either side, Uruguay seemed closer to winning for most of the second half.

Valverde opened the scoring in the 55th minute after Brazilian defenders failed three times to clear the ball from their penalty area. The Real Madrid midfielder hit the ball to the left corner to score. Gerson equalized in the 61st minute.

Striker Raphinha said he understood the frustration from his team’s fans, but disagreed with them.

“We played great. We did everything we could to leave here with a victory. We must have our heads high up, it will be very tough to beat us,” he said.

Also on Tuesday, Ecuador won 1-0 at Colombia with a goal by Enner Valencia in the seventh minute, in which he dribbled through three players before scoring. Ecuador lost defender Piero Hincapié to a red card in the 34th minute but held on for the win.

Bolivia and Paraguay drew 2-2 in a match between teams that could end up fighting for the seventh position in the region’s qualifying. Chile, one of the worst performing teams in the region this year, showed some fighting spirit and beat Venezuela 4-2.

MANCHESTER: Pep Guardiola has agreed to a contract extension to stay at Manchester City for at least another season, according to British media reports Tuesday.

The City manager, whose contract was due to expire at the end of this season, has overseen a period of unprecedented dominance since joining the club in 2016. City have won six Premier League titles in seven years and won the Champions League.

City have not commented on several reports that the 53-year-old Guardiola would extend his stay into a 10th season with the deal including an option for an additional year.

Under the Catalan coach, City became the first team to win four straight English league titles. He also led City to the treble in 2023, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in one season — matching Manchester United’s achievement in 1999.

Guardiola’s apparent decision to stay also comes as City face a slew of alleged financial breaches. Punishment could be as extreme as expulsion from the league.

City face more than 100 charges ranging over a nine-year period when it was trying to establish itself as the biggest force in English soccer.

The club denies the charges and Guardiola had said in September — when a closed-door hearing was scheduled — that he welcomed the chance to clear the club’s name. A verdict is not expected until next year.