"Still so underrated," "What a baller" - Fans in awe of Lionel Messi's Argentina teammate for 'world class' performance in WC qualifier

Fans praised Lionel Messi's teammate and Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister for his performance against Paraguay on October 13.

The Argentines secured a 1-0 win at home thanks to a brilliant third-minute volleyed finish from Nicolas Otamendi inside the box. Messi was left out of the starting XI, perhaps to not risk aggravating a muscle injury he suffered last month.

Messi came on in the 53rd minute to see his team over the line but fans were quick to notice Mac Allister's role in the win against Paraguay. The Liverpool midfielder played the full 90 minutes, completing 95% of his 82 passes and recording one key pass and eight recoveries.

Mac Allister also took 101 touches of the ball, completed two dribbles, and won seven of his 12 ground duels. He put in a tireless shift in midfield to help his team keep their third successive clean sheet against Paraguay.

Speaking of the Liverpool star's performance, one fan tweeted:

"What a baller"

Another wrote:

"As I've been saying, he's still so underrated. Works hard, sets the tempo and has a perfect passing ability. Definition of a silent leader in midfield! Him and De Paul together were flawless 💫❤️."

One fan described him as world-class, saying:

"He is world class, what a performance"

Here are a select few reactions from fans on X following Mac Allister's display:

Argentina have won all three of their 2026 FIFA World Cup CONMEBOL qualifiers so far. They travel to Lima on October 17 to face Peru, who have just one point from their opening three games.

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Argentina boss explains Lionel Messi decision when naming starting XI

It is a rare sight to see Lionel Messi warming the bench at either the club or international level. But that was the case when Argentina faced Paraguay at the Estadio Mas Monumental.

Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that the decision to leave out the 36-year-old from his starting XI was because he wasn't 100% match fit. Speaking after the game, the Argentine tactician claimed (h/t @WeAreMessi on X):

"Today, it was dangerous for Leo Messi to play more minutes than he did. It was wise to play him as a substitute today!"

Messi missed his team's second World Cup qualifier last month when they beat Bolivia 3-0 in La Paz. He returned to action for Inter Miami just before the international, doing so as a substitute in a 1-0 MLS loss against Cincinnati on October 8.

So far, Lionel Messi has registered 11 goals and five assists in 13 games for his new club, whom he joined this summer on a free transfer.