Under the blazing Miami sun at Hard Rock Stadium, a sold-out crowd of 65,000 — split almost evenly between sky-blue-and-white and light-blue-and-white — witnessed a classic Río de la Plata derby that delivered everything the occasion demanded: genius, grit, controversy and a late winner.

Argentina controlled the opening exchanges through the familiar axis of Messi, Mac Allister and De Paul, patiently probing a deep-sitting Uruguayan block. The breakthrough arrived on 34 minutes when Ugarte — already booked — cynically tripped Enzo Fernández 22 yards from goal. Messi stepped up, bent a trademark free-kick around the wall and inside Rochet's left post. 1–0.

Uruguay refused to fold. Marcel Bielsa's side grew into the second half, Valverde driving forward relentlessly and De Arrascaeta threading passes between Argentina's lines. The equaliser came on 61 minutes: Valverde's raking cross from the right found Darwin Núñez arriving at the back post, and the Al-Hilal striker powered a header past Emiliano Martínez. 1–1 — and suddenly the tie was alive.

The decisive moment arrived on 78 minutes. Messi, dropping deep to receive from Mac Allister, turned Ronald Araújo inside out with a shimmy and slipped a perfectly weighted through-ball into the channel. Julián Álvarez — tireless, relentless — took one touch to control and slotted low past Rochet's near post. 2–1. The stadium erupted.

Uruguay pushed desperately in the final ten minutes, Bentancur driving forward and Pellistri causing problems after coming on, but Emiliano Martínez was equal to everything — palming away a Valverde thunderbolt in the 88th minute to seal Argentina's passage to the Round of 16. The world champions march on.