Argentina vs. Peru: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Reigning champions Argentina will be looking to get back on track in Tuesday night's 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Peru.

Peru, now in ninth position, played to a draw with bottom-place Chile in their most recent encounter, while top-of-the-section Lionel Scaloni's squad is coming off a shocking 2-1 defeat to Paraguay.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

The defending world champions Argentina lost their third straight match in the group stage after taking the lead in the 11th minute via Lautaro Martinez. Paraguay rallied to win 2-1.

After 11 games in the group stage, the White and Sky Blues have a 22-point total—three more than second-place Uruguay and five more than fourth-place Brazil—thanks to seven victories, one tie, and three losses.

With 20 goals in 11 matches (six from Lionel Messi), Scaloni's La Seleccion is a heavy favourite to win the 2026 tournament. The squad is also a renowned winner of the 2022 World Cup.

In their last 2024 match against Peru, Argentina has an opportunity to get back on track before their massive March doubleheader against Uruguay and Brazil.

With wins in the most recent four meetings between the two South American nations, the White and Sky Blues have a 37–7 record in their 58 career encounters against Peru across all competitions.

After their scoreless draw with Chile, Peru will go into this encounter with seven points, one win, four draws, and six defeats from eleven games, good enough for ninth place in the league.

The White and Reds are in sixth position in the group, five points behind Venezuela and nine below Paraguay. They have struggled to score goals, managing only three in eleven matches.

After a historic 1-0 win over Uruguay last month, Jorge Fossati's squad lost 4-0 against Brazil and will be understandably afraid of a response from Argentina after Scaloni's squad also lost their previous match.

Since their most recent World Cup debut in 2018, when they were ousted in the group stage, La Blanquirroja failed to qualify for the 2022 event.

But Peru has been to the World Cup quarterfinals twice before, in 1970 and 1978, and they have a strong enough team to give Argentina a run for their money.

Argentina x Peru Team News

Cristian Romero, a Tottenham Hotspur central defender, will not play for Argentina on Tuesday since he hurt his foot against Paraguay and had to leave the field.

The Argentine defence is in disarray since Lisandro Martinez, a Manchester United player, also withdrew from the team due to hip and back problems.

Along with Nicolas Otamendi, Leonardo Balerdi is anticipated to earn his fifth cap. Alejandro Garnacho, who is now on the bench for Manchester United, is not expected to be substituted.

Messi will wear the Argentina jersey for the 191st time, while 24-year-old Julian Alvarez, who has scored 11 goals for the national team, could see action in various positions.

It would be surprising if Peru's starting eleven changed from their previous encounter against Chile, although no known injuries have occurred.

The fitness of striker Paolo Guerrero will have to be evaluated; he made his 123rd appearance for his nation at 40 in their previous match, and Gianluca Lapadula is a potential starter.

Since Sergio Pena's removal against Chile was more of a tactical choice than a health concern, he is expected to start again in the centre of the field. Meanwhile, Luis Advincula will likely play a wing-back role for Peru in this match.

Our Predictions

Argentina to win to nil @ 1.49 on Sky247.ng

We do not see the visiting Peruvians causing any damage to Argentina in this division, and their goal-scoring woes are somewhat concerning. Even if we don't anticipate a high-scoring match on Tuesday night, we are rooting for the World Cup holders to win with a comfortable two-goal victory since they will be eager to get back on track.

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