FIFA World Cup Qualifying - CONMEBOL

Argentina vs Ecuador, 2026 World Cup Qualifying - CONMEBOL

· FIFA World Cup Qualifying - CONMEBOL
Argentina
  • 78': Lionel Messi
FT
1 - 0
Ecuador

    Messi magic as Argentina beat Ecuador in World Cup qualifier

    Lionel Messi's second-half goal gave Argentina a 1-0 home win over Ecuador on Thursday to get their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign off on the right foot.

    Match Timeline

    • 0': Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
    • 0': First Half begins.
    • 1': Offside, Ecuador. José Hurtado tries a through ball, but Gonzalo Plata is caught offside.
    • 2': Foul by Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador).
    • 2': Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 10': Foul by Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador).
    • 10': Lionel Messi (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
    • 10': Delay in match because of an injury Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador).
    • 12': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
    • 12': Foul by Lionel Messi (Argentina).
    • 12': Pervis Estupiñán (Ecuador) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 16': Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Argentina) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Alexis Mac Allister.
    • 18': Foul by Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador).
    • 18': Lionel Messi (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
    • 21': Foul by Enzo Fernández (Argentina).
    • 21': Pervis Estupiñán (Ecuador) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
    • 23': Foul by José Cifuentes (Ecuador).
    • 23': Nicolás Tagliafico (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 25': Attempt saved. Enner Valencia (Ecuador) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pervis Estupiñán.
    • 28': Attempt blocked. Enzo Fernández (Argentina) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
    • 28': Attempt blocked. Lautaro Martínez (Argentina) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Nicolás González.
    • 29': Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Willian Pacho.
    • 30': Delay in match because of an injury Gonzalo Plata (Ecuador).
    • 31': Delay over. They are ready to continue.
    • 32': Foul by Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina).
    • 32': Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 32': Corner, Ecuador. Conceded by Cristian Romero.
    • 33': Attempt missed. Carlos Gruezo (Ecuador) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Félix Torres following a corner.
    • 36': Enner Valencia (Ecuador) wins a free kick on the left wing.
    • 36': Foul by Cristian Romero (Argentina).
    • 37': Attempt missed. Willian Pacho (Ecuador) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Gonzalo Plata with a cross following a set piece situation.
    • 42': Foul by Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina).
    • 42': Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
    • 45': Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Félix Torres.
    • 45'+1': Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina) wins a free kick on the right wing.
    • 45'+1': Foul by Willian Pacho (Ecuador).
    • 45'+2': Lautaro Martínez (Argentina) hits the left post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Rodrigo De Paul with a cross.
    • 45'+3': First Half ends, Argentina 0, Ecuador 0.
    • 45': Second Half begins Argentina 0, Ecuador 0.
    • 47': Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Félix Torres.
    • 50': Attempt missed. Enzo Fernández (Argentina) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Nicolás Tagliafico.
    • 51': Enzo Fernández (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 51': Foul by José Cifuentes (Ecuador).
    • 51': Offside, Argentina. Nicolás Otamendi tries a through ball, but Nahuel Molina is caught offside.
    • 53': Foul by Willian Pacho (Ecuador).
    • 53': Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina) wins a free kick on the right wing.
    • 55': Attempt blocked. Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Nicolás González.
    • 55': Attempt blocked. Cristian Romero (Argentina) right footed shot from very close range is blocked.
    • 56': Hand ball by Lionel Messi (Argentina).
    • 58': Nicolás Tagliafico (Argentina) hits the bar with a left footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
    • 59': Attempt blocked. Nicolás González (Argentina) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Enzo Fernández.
    • 60': Corner, Ecuador. Conceded by Cristian Romero.
    • 61': Foul by Félix Torres (Ecuador).
    • 61': Nicolás Tagliafico (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 61': Foul by José Cifuentes (Ecuador).
    • 61': Nicolás Tagliafico (Argentina) wins a free kick on the left wing.
    • 61': José Cifuentes (Ecuador) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
    • 62': Substitution, Argentina. Ángel Di María replaces Nicolás González.
    • 64': Foul by Nicolás Tagliafico (Argentina).
    • 64': Gonzalo Plata (Ecuador) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 67': Attempt saved. Enner Valencia (Ecuador) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Moisés Caicedo.
    • 67': Substitution, Ecuador. Kevin Rodríguez replaces Gonzalo Plata.
    • 68': Substitution, Ecuador. Joao Ortíz replaces José Cifuentes.
    • 69': Attempt saved. Lionel Messi (Argentina) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Rodrigo De Paul.
    • 71': Attempt saved. Kevin Rodríguez (Ecuador) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Enner Valencia.
    • 75': Corner, Argentina. Conceded by Willian Pacho.
    • 76': Foul by Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador).
    • 76': Lautaro Martínez (Argentina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
    • 77': Substitution, Argentina. Leandro Paredes replaces Alexis Mac Allister.
    • 77': Substitution, Argentina. Julián Álvarez replaces Lautaro Martínez.
    • 78': Goal! Argentina 1, Ecuador 0. Lionel Messi (Argentina) from a free kick with a left footed shot to the top left corner.
    • 79': Foul by Julián Álvarez (Argentina).
    • 79': Robert Arboleda (Ecuador) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 80': Offside, Argentina. Julián Álvarez tries a through ball, but Lionel Messi is caught offside.
    • 81': Substitution, Ecuador. Angelo Preciado replaces José Hurtado.
    • 81': Substitution, Ecuador. Ángel Mena replaces Félix Torres.
    • 82': Foul by Leandro Paredes (Argentina).
    • 82': Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 82': Leandro Paredes (Argentina) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
    • 85': Attempt missed. Ángel Di María (Argentina) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Rodrigo De Paul.
    • 89': Substitution, Argentina. Exequiel Palacios replaces Lionel Messi.
    • 89': Enzo Fernández (Argentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
    • 89': Foul by Carlos Gruezo (Ecuador).
    • 90'+1': Foul by Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador).
    • 90'+1': Ángel Di María (Argentina) wins a free kick on the right wing.
    • 90'+3': Attempt saved. Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ángel Di María.
    • 90'+3': Foul by Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador).
    • 90'+3': Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina) wins a free kick on the right wing.
    • 90'+4': Second Half ends, Argentina 1, Ecuador 0.
    • 0': Match ends, Argentina 1, Ecuador 0.

    Game Information

    Competition: FIFA World Cup Qualifying - CONMEBOL

    Venue: Mâs Monumental
    Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
    Attendance: 82,500

    WCQ - CONMEBOL Table

    # TEAM GP GD PTS
    1 Argentina 18 +21 38
    2 Ecuador 18 +9 29
    3 Colombia 18 +10 28
    4 Uruguay 18 +10 28
    Full Table

    Line-Ups

    ARG Argentina (4-3-3)

    No. Name
    23 Emiliano Martínez (GK)
    19 Nicolás Otamendi
    13 Cristian Romero
    3 Nicolás Tagliafico
    21 Nahuel Molina
    8 Enzo Fernández
    20 Alexis Mac Allister
    7 Rodrigo De Paul
    22 Lautaro Martínez
    15 Nicolás González
    10 Lionel Messi
    Argentina Substitutes:
    Alejandro Garnacho, Franco Armani, Guido Rodríguez, Walter Benítez, Julián Álvarez, Exequiel Palacios, Facundo Medina, Ángel Correa, Ángel Di María, Germán Pezzella, Leandro Paredes, Gonzalo Montiel.

    ECU Ecuador (5-3-2)

    No. Name
    1 Hernán Galíndez (GK)
    4 Robert Arboleda
    6 Willian Pacho
    2 Félix Torres
    7 Pervis Estupiñán
    3 José Hurtado
    8 Carlos Gruezo
    23 Moisés Caicedo
    5 José Cifuentes Yellow Card
    13 Enner Valencia
    10 Gonzalo Plata
    Ecuador Substitutes:
    Alexander Domínguez, Joel Ordóñez, Jhoanner Chavez, Ángelo Preciado, Jordy Alcivar, Leonardo Realpe, Ángel Mena, Moisés Ramírez, Kevin Rodríguez, Jhojan Julio, Joao Ortiz, Kendry Páez.

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