SANTIAGO, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Julian Alvarez scored a first-half winner as Argentina clinched a 1-0 away victory over Chile in their FIFA World Cup qualifier on Thursday.

The visitors took the lead in the 16th-minute at Estadio Nacional in Santiago when Alvarez ran onto Thiago Almada's through ball and lifted a shot over goalkeeper Brayan Cortes.

Argentina controlled more than two thirds of possession against a Chile side that could only manage three shots on target.

With World Cup qualification already secured, Argentina started without captain Lionel Messi, as manager Lionel Scaloni fielded a largely inexperienced side.

Messi replaced Nico Paz in the 57th minute and the 37-year-old came close to scoring shortly after with a dangerous free-kick that was saved by Cortes.

Scaloni paid tribute to his players' commitment after the match, adding that Chile had provided a stern test.

"It's the players' job to always give their all when they wear the national team shirt," he told a post-match news conference. "These are tough matches because the players are having to get through a lot of games, but everyone wanted to be here and contribute - that's the important thing."

While Argentina can already start preparing for football's showpiece tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada next year, Chile's chances of qualifying are distant.

Ricardo Gareca's side is currently last in the 10-team South American zone standings and even three wins from its three remaining qualifiers might not be enough to secure a playoff spot.

In other CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers on Thursday, Ecuador and Brazil drew 0-0 in Guayaquil and Paraguay beat Uruguay 2-0 in Asuncion. ■