BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina is proving it can win without Lionel Messi, just in case he opts not to play in the 2026 World Cup. After Argentina secured a spot in next year's competition, the main question now is whether the 37-year-old star will play in his sixth tournament and try to win back-to-back championships.

Argentina may have qualified for the 2026 World Cup earlier in the day with Uruguay drawing with Bolivia, but that didn't mean that they were going to let up facing rivals Brazil in the Superclasico de las Americas,

The workload of the 37-year-old Argentina captain has been managed since the start of the Major League Soccer season.