Argentina's Lionel Messi (center) drives the ball during the South American qualification football match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 against Chile at the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, on June 3, 2021. (JUAN MABROMATA / POOL / AFP)

SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, Argentina - Lionel Messi converted a first-half penalty but could not prevent Argentina stumbling to a 1-1 home draw with Chile in their FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifier here on Thursday.

Messi scored in the 24th minute after Monaco central defender Guillermo Maripan brought down Internazionale striker Lautaro Martinez.

Martinez's Inter teammate Alexis Sanchez equalized for Chile with a close-range effort in the 37th minute following Gary Medel's sliding effort to keep a Charles Aranguiz free-kick in play.

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The result leaves Argentina second in the 10-team South American zone group with three wins and two draws from their five matches so far. Chile are seventh, with one win, two draws and two losses.

Earlier on Thursday, Paraguay held Uruguay to a goalless draw in Montevideo and Bolivia won 3-1 at home to Venezuela.