Argentina vs. Ecuador, result, round-up and goals: victory for La Scalaneta with a great goal from Messi in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers | Sports New Spain

The world champion started the new cycle on the right foot. Or rather with the left foot, the best left foot in the world. ONE great free kick goal by Lionel Messi gave victory to Argentina about Ecuador in Buenos Aires 1-0 on his first date Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

It was a frictionless game that cost Argentina, after a lackluster first half in which they just had a shot from Lautaro Martinez hit the post. In the second half he improved the Albiceleste and although he spoiled plenty and gave Ecuador some chances to counter-attack, it was Messi who ended up deciding the game, the eighth straight game for Argentina that has had at least one Messi goal.

Argentina are back in action next Tuesday when they visit Bolivia in La Paz, while Ecuador host Uruguay on the same day.

More | South America 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Matches, results, standings, days, times and full schedule

How did Argentina vs. Ecuador? Final score

Summary and goals of Argentina vs. Ecuador:

targets

• ARG – L. Messi – Min. 77.

Argentina vs. Ecuador, live

End of match: Argentina beat Ecuador 1-0.

Minimum 90+2 – Galides saves De Paul one-on-one after a big Argentina counter-attack involving Alvarez, Fernandez and Di Maria.

Minimum 90 – Added four minutes.

Minimum 88 – Last change in Argentina: Ezequiel Palacios replaced Lionel Messi.

Minimum 84 – Di Maria almost decided the game: De Paul helped Benfica after a brilliant individual move, but Fideo’s left-footed shot went wide.

Min. 82 – Rebuke of Leandro Paredes in Argentina.

Minimum 81 – Third change in Ecuador: Angel Mena replaces Jose Hurtado.

Min. 77 – Goal from Argentina! Lionel Messi broke Ecuador’s deadlock with a beautiful free-kick goal.

Minimum 75 – Two changes in Argentina: Julián Álvarez and Leandro Paredes replaced Lautaro Martínez and Alexis Mac Allister.

Minimum 70 – Now Ecuador have forgiven: Kevin Rodriguez ends badly after Valencia’s back pass on a counter-attack that featured three Ecuadorians to two Argentinians.

Minimum 69 – Galíndez denied Messi a goal, with a save that stopped a ball that had also gone weak from the 10’s left foot.

Minimum 66 – Kevin Rodríguez and João Ortiz replaced Gonzalo Plata and José Cifuentes in Ecuador.

Minimum 65 – Dibu Martínez contains a loose left-footed shot from Enner Valencia.

Minimum 61 – Argentina first change: Ángel Di María replaces Nicolás González.

Minimum 60 – Rebuke of Jose Cifuentes in Ecuador.

Min. 59 – Romero saves Argentina, with a timely cut to take the ball from Valencia inside the area when the Ecuadorian striker was about to tackle Dibu Martinez.

Min. 57 – Argentina appeared again: Romero spilled into the opposition area, Lautaro controlled the ball inside the area but couldn’t kick it, Messi played for Tagliafico and the defender’s powerful shot went over the bar.

Min. 54 – Argentina close to a goal through the set piece: Messi took the cross and Romero blocked when it finished.

Min. 52 – Now the way for Argentina to finish the attack was with a Molina cross that no teammate finished. Scaloni’s side continue to improve in this second half, with much more pace in attack.

Min. 50 – Shot by Enzo Fernandez from outside the box, after a series of passes between Taliaficos and Nico Gonzalez.

Minimum 49 – As in the first half, it is Argentina who propose and Ecuador who take care at the start of this second half, although with a Messi looking more active, Argentina are opening up spaces.

The second half began.

The first half ended – Argentina and Ecuador tied 0-0.

Min. 45+2 – Hit the post with Lautaro Martinez’s shot in the final play of the first half after waiting for De Paul’s cross from the right to reach him.

min 45+1 – Argentina woke up to a first half in which they showed no rebellion to try and create danger for an Ecuador who are comfortable playing in their tactical formation. Albiceleste take a corner but fail to capitalize on it.

Min. 45 – Added one more minute.

Min. 36 – With some set-pieces, Ecuador started to get into Argentina’s territory with a weak for the time being in the first half.

min 30 – Argentina are now trying to concentrate Mac Allister and leave more of Enzo Fernández in attack to see if that way they can break Ecuador’s resistance. For the time being, he did not put Galindez, the visitors’ goalkeeper, to work.

Min. 25 – Little is done in the game, now with inaccuracies from both teams when they reach the middle of the field with the ball.

Minimum 15 – First shot of the match, from Messi’s foot in his favorite area to the goal of the area. The Inter Miami player tried to place, but the ball, which Messi received from McAllister’s pass, went wide.

min 10 – Scaloni’s men stifle Ecuador against their own half, who end up retreating with all their men 35 meters closer to their goal, but show good class to prevent Argentina from finishing.

min 6 – Argentina handle possession well in the opposite field and, when they lose it, press Ecuador high and recover it quickly.

Min. 2 – Argentina go close for the first time with a good move started by De Paul, but Martinez can’t get the pass into the opposition area.

The match has begun!

The teams took to the field.

The preview of Argentina vs. Ecuador

Welcome to the Memorial! Argentina, the reigning world champions, begin the defense of their crown tonight in Buenos Aires against Ecuador, one of the best teams in South America today and one of the few to have won on Albiceleste soil in recent decades.

Argentina’s last game vs. Ecuador played in Guayaquil in March 2022 and drew 1-1: Julián Álvarez opened the scoring for Argentina in the first half and Enner Valencia equalized for the home side in stoppage time, converting the rebound from a missed penalty.

Argentina won the qualifying match before that, at the start of the last qualifier, 1-0 with a goal from Lionel Messi from the penalty spot. They also beat Ecuador 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2021 Copa America, with goals from Messi, Rodrigo de Paul and Lautaro Martinez.

In Argentina vs. Ecuador in Argentina’s territory before 2020, we found Ecuador’s historic 2-0 victory in 2015 at River Stadium, with goals from Frickson Erazo and Felipe Caicedo. It is one of only two home defeats for Argentina in 14 years and the only one suffered in Buenos Aires since the memorable 5-0 thrashing of Colombia in September 1993.

There is also one win in recent Argentina-Ecuador history in Buenos Aires: a 4-0 win over Albiceleste in 2012 with goals from Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel di Maria and Messi.

Ecuador start these Qualifiers in last place: three points off due to the poor inclusion of Byron Castillo on the road to Qatar 2022.

Argentinian formation

I painted Martinez. Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis McAllister; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez and Nicolás González.

Ecuador formation

Hernan Galinez? José Hurtado, Robert Arboleda, Félix Torres, William Pacho, Pervis Estupiñán; José Cifuentes, Carlos Gruezo, Moises Caicedo; Gonzalo Plata, Enner Valencia.

Where and how to watch Argentina vs. Ecuador today? TV channels and online streaming for the Qualifiers match

• TV:
  • Argentina: Public Television, TyC Sports
  • Ecuador: The football channel
  • USA: Telemundo
  • Mexico: –
  • Spain –
• Flow:
  • Argentina: Flow, DGo, Telecentre Play
  • Ecuador:-
  • USA: Fubo, ViX
  • Mexico: ViX
  • Spain:-