Argentina vs Paraguay score, highlights: Otamendi's goal gets 1-0 win in Messi's return

Defending World Cup champions Argentina took to the field Thursday night for a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying game against Paraguay. The crowd at Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires anticipated the first match featuring home hero Lionel Messi since the club's 1-0 win over Ecuador Sept. 7.

They weren't disappointed.

Messi came off the bench in the second half as Argentina earned a dominant 1-0 win over Paraguay. Nicolás Otamendi earned his first goal of the World Cup qualifying matches with a powerful strike from the right side of the box in the third minute.

The early goal set the stage for a statement performance by Argentina. They controlled the game in the first half and ended the match with 75% possession overall. Paraguay rarely had the ball long enough to get through a set piece and managed just one shot on goal the entire night.

Argentina had many opportunities after Otamendi's early goal to extend the lead but couldn't connect. Forward Lautaro Martínez had a great chance in the 16th minute but Paraguay keeper Carlos Coronel made one of his three saves to keep it out of goal.

Argentina's next-best attempt of the first half came from Nicolás González from the center of the box. It passed Coronel's outstretched hands but also passed the far post of the goal by a foot in the 45th minute.

Messi entered the game for Julián Álvarez early in the second half. He initially refused the captain's armband from Otamendi but eventually gave in with a smile and put it on.

Messi came close to scoring three times in the second half. A corner kick in the 76th minute bounced off the top left corner of the goal, Coronel blocked a shot from outside the box 15 minutes later, and Messi's final free kick of the game deflected off the left post.

Thanks to the stifling defense all night, Argentina's keeper Emiliano Martínez broke a national team record for scoreless minutes in goal with 609. He hasn't allowed an opposing goal on Argentina since the World Cup final against France last December.

Argentina continues CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying competition next week with a game against Peru Oct. 17.

Argentina vs. Paraguay highlights

Otamendi's early goal would end up the only score of the night in Buenos Aires.

Much to the delight of fans at Mâs Monumental, Messi entered the game in the second half.

Messi's corner kick in the 76th minute nearly curved all the way back into goal but bounced off the top corner of the post.

He'd hit the post again in the 93rd minute during a free kick.

Final: Argentina 1, Paraguay 0

Messi free kick hits post

After a foul by Paraguay's Gustavo Gómez, Messi's free kick bounces off the left post and away from the goal (90 +3').

Argentina goalkeeper sets new national team record

During tonight's game, Argentina's Emiliano Martínez set a new national record for scoreless minutes in goal at 609.

Carlos Coronel blocks Messi's shot attempt

Messi fired a shot from outside the box but Coronel blocks it away (90').

Nicolás González with another shot wide of goal

González fired a shot from the left side of the box for Argentina but the ball missed wide of the goal (88').

Substitution for Paraguay

Gabriel Ávalos enters the game for Miguel Almirón (86').

Lautaro Martínez shot too high

The Argentine forward's shot from the right side of the box clears the goal by a couple feet after a pass from Nahuel Molina (84').

Substitution for Argentina

Leandro Paredes enters the game for Enzo Fernández (79').

Messi's corner kick a near miss

After the injury delay, Messi's corner curves back towards the goal and deflects off the far left corner of the post and out of danger for Paraguay (76').

Injury delay for Paraguay

Defender Júnior Alonso is receiving medical attention and is taken off on a stretcher (74'). Héctor Villalba substitutes in for him.

Substitutions for Paraguay

Antonio Sanabria replaces Adam Bareiro and Braian Ojeda comes into the game for Álvaro Campuzano (71').

Corner kicks for Argentina

Argentina tries two corners but neither yield a solid shot on goal (67').

Messi enters the game

Messi has substituted in for Argentina for Julián Álvarez (53').

Paraguay shot attempt wide left of goal

Paraguay's Ramón Sosa sprinted down the right side of the box and fired a shot towards the Argentina goal but it sails left of goal (51').

Another yellow for Paraguay

Paraguay's Adam Bareiro is shown the yellow for a rough foul on Argentina's Cristian Romero (50').

Halftime: Argentina up 1-0 over Paraguay on Otamendi's goal

Nicolás Otamendi's goal three minutes in proves to be the difference after the first half. Argentina is in complete control with 10 shot attempts to Paraguay's two. Paraguay keeper Carlos Coronel's notched three saves already but the squad has to feel luck Nicolás González' shot right before the break missed the goal by barely a foot.

Paraguay's only had possession for 26% of the game so far and managed just two shot attempts all game.

Nicolás González shot barely wide of goal

Minutes after their latest barrage, Argentina's Nicolás González tries another shot from the center of the box. It goals just beyond Carlos Coronel's outstretched hand and a foot wide of the right post of the goal (45').

Coronel, Paraguay survive Argentina's barrage

Argentina fired three shots in a span of five minutes. The two from Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul missed to the right and Carlos Coronel saves the third by Nicolás González. It remains 1-0 (42').

Argentina header sails over goal

Argentina's Cristian Romero attempts a header from the center of the box off a pass from Rodrigo De Paul but it's too high and sails over the Paraguay goal (25').

Both sides trade penalties and free kicks

Paraguay's Ramón Sosa wins a free kick on the left wing after a foul by Rodrigo De Paul. Less than a minute later, De Paul wins a free kick in the defensive half after a foul by Iván Ramírez (23').

Yellow card for Paraguay

Paraguay defender Júnior Alonso is shown the yellow after a foul on Argentina's Alexis Mac Allister (21').

Carlos Coronel with a close save

Argentina forward Lautaro Martínez had a great opportunity from the right side of the box but Paraguay keeper Carlos Coronel made a diving save (16').

Messi a substitute for tonight's game

Argentina starts out in a 4-3-3 for Thursday's game but Messi is not starting. As he was in Inter Miami's last game, he's one of 12 listed substitutes for this match.

Early yellow card for Argentina

Midfielder Enzo Fernández is shown the yellow after a foul on Paraguay's Gustavo Gómez (7').

Nicolás Otamendi goal: defender scores from inside box

Argentina gets on the board early with Otamendi's goal from the right side of the box. Otamendi's goal came off a corner and a cross by midfielder Rodrigo De Paul (3').

Kickoff: Argentina vs. Paraguay

The match is officially under way in Buenos Aires.

What time is the Argentina vs. Paraguay match?

The match is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. ET Thursday.

Where to watch Messi with Argentina vs. Paraguay

The game will air via Spanish-language broadcast on Universo. Streaming also will be available on FuboTV.

What else did Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni say about Messi?

Scaloni understands that this World Cup qualifying game held in Buenos Aires is important for the squad and fans alike. But it's the first of Argentina's four qualifying games over the next six weeks.

“We have another game in four days against Peru and it is not so easy to define if he is available, the important thing is that he feels comfortable," Scaloni said Wednesday. "What leaves us calm is that if he is not fit, whoever replaces him will do just as well.”

CONMEBOL 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

Argentina's match against Paraguay is one of five fixtures today. Here are the other matches today:

• Colombia vs. Uruguay

• Bolivia vs. Ecuador

• Chile vs. Peru

• Brazil vs. Venezuela

Argentina's four games in six weeks starts today. Here's the team's schedule for the World Cup qualifiers this fall:

• Thu. 10/12: Argentina vs. Paraguay, 7:00 p.m., ET, Universo/FuboTV

• Tue. 10/17: Argentina at Peru, 10:00 p.m., ET, TBD

• Thu. 11/16: Argentina vs. Uruguay, 7:00 p.m., ET, TBD

• Tue. 11/21: Argentina at Brazil, 7:30 p.m., ET, TBD

Inter Miami schedule

After the club's 1-0 loss on Saturday, Inter Miami has just two fixtures left for the 2023 MLS Season:

• Wed. 10/18: Inter Miami vs. Charlotte FC, 8:00 p.m., ET, Apple TV

• Sat. 10/21: Inter Miami at Charlotte FC, 6:00 p.m., ET, Apple TV

Did Messi, Inter Miami make the MLS playoffs?

The club's 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati ended a chance at the MLS playoffs.

Argentina's roster

The Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA) announced the latest squad of 27 players in June. The roster includes:

• Goalkeepers Emiliano Martínez, Franco Armani, Juan Musso, and Walter Benítez

• Defenders Nicolás Otamendi, Marcos Acuña, Nicolás Tagliafico, Germán Pezzella, Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martínez Quarta, and Facundo Medina

• Midfielders Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Giovani Lo Celso, Guido Rodríguez, Exequiel Palacios, Alexis Mac Allister, and Enzo Fernández

• Forwards Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Nicolás González, Julián Álvarez, Lucas Ocampos, Alejandro Garnacho, and Alejandro Garnacho

Paraguay's roster

The team announced the roster for the match against Argentina on Instagram last week. The squad includes:

• Goalkeepers Carlos Coronel, Santiago Rojas, and Juan Espínola

• Defenders Gustavo Gómez, Júnior Alonso, Fabián Balbuena, Robert Rojas, Santiago Arzamendia, Omar Alderete, Alberto Espínola, Mateo Gamarra, Iván Ramírez, and Matías Espinoza

• Midfielders Miguel Almirón, Richard Sánchez, Mathías Villasanti, Alejandro Romero Gamarra, Matías Rojas, Gastón Giménez, Braian Ojeda, Matías Galarza, Álvaro Campuzano, and Damián Bobadilla

• Forwards Antonio Sanabria, Gabriel Ávalos, Ramón Sosa, Héctor Villalba, and Adam Bareiro

'Messi Meets America': How to watch AppleTV+ docuseries on Lionel Messi

Messi coming from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami is one of the biggest sports stories of the year, and AppleTV+ is giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at his arrival.

The first four episodes of "Messi Meets America" are now available on Apple TV+. The final two episodes are still in production and will be released later this season, according to Apple.

Watch the trailer for the series here:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Argentina vs. Paraguay score: Lionel Messi returns for CONMEBOL win