Argentina's Under-19 team lost the South American Games 2026 football final to Paraguay on penalties. Diego Placente's side had to settle for the silver medal after a goalless 90 minutes and a 5-4 shootout defeat.
The match, played on Friday at 3:00 PM in a packed Marcelo Bielsa stadium, was dominated by Argentina. Franco Domínguez was the most threatening, with attempts in the 5th, 28th, 78th, 85th, and 88th minutes. Ian Subiabre also had an early chance from a Domínguez cross, and Matías Satas tested the keeper with a header at the 12-minute mark. The post denied Ramiro Tulián in the 57th minute, who later had two more opportunities. Argentina's pressure told when Paraguay's Thiago Fernández was sent off with a second yellow card in the 89th minute, but the goal never came.
The shootout decider
In the penalty shootout, Felipe Esquivel, Franco Domínguez, Thiago Pérez, and Facundo Jainikoski scored for Argentina. However, the fourth spot-kick, taken by Leandro Olima, sailed over the bar. That opened the door for Mauro Coronel to score Paraguay's fifth and decisive penalty, securing the gold medal for his nation. Paraguay claimed its third football gold in the history of the South American Games, adding to those from 1978 and 2022.
For Argentina, this silver marks their first podium finish in this tournament since 2014, ending a twelve-year drought. Their last gold dates back to 1986. Coach Diego Placente summed up the bitter feeling at full time. "No pudo ser: Argentina cayó ante Paraguay por penales y se quedó con la medalla de plata en los Suramericanos 2026," he said.
The atmosphere in the stands mirrored the emotional rollercoaster. Fans chanted "El que no salta es un inglés" and "Soy argentino, es un sentimiento, no puedo parar" early on. As the minutes ticked by without a goal, the chant changed to an urgent "Movete, Argentina, movete, movete, dejate de joder".
This final defeat mirrored the group stage result, where Argentina had lost 2-1 to the same opponent eight days prior. The team showed character to recover from that opening loss, handle the group stage, and reach the final, but clinical edge was missing when it mattered most. In the bronze medal match, Peru defeated Chile 2-1.
While the U19s conclude their South American Games campaign, focus returns to the senior side, which tops its World Cup qualifying group with 9 points from three wins. The Albiceleste's last outing was a 1-0 defeat to Spain in July, but their recent form of four wins in the last five games builds confidence. To review the full squad and its statistics, visit our squad and stats pages.
