Soccer results Argentina vs Ecuador – Leo Messi once again shined to help Argentina overcome a difficult Ecuador in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada will expand to a 48-team format, meaning the number of places for South American teams will increase from four to six, and the seventh-placed team will enter the play-off round. intercontinental to compete for tickets.

Therefore, strong regional teams such as Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay will almost certainly have a place. The new format has caused many big teams to see the Qualifiers as preparation and an opportunity to experiment more than compete.

Coach Lionel Scaloni has yet to lose a match in the South American World Cup qualifiers. Argentina’s most recent defeat at this tournament was in 2017 – which took place before his leadership tenure began.

Argentina used a quite strong squad in the opening match against Ecuador, in which Messi started from the start. They dominated the ball control but did not create many opportunities in the first half against Ecuador’s solid defense.

The first notable opportunity came in the 15th minute when Tagliafico pushed the ball for Messi to score beautifully with his left foot, but the ball narrowly missed the post.

Ecuador did not hesitate in fierce collisions and the Argentinian players also retaliated. The midfield area was tense and the two teams appeared to be quite deadlocked. In the final seconds of the first half, De Paul hung the ball for Lautaro to shoot delicately, but the ball bounced off the post and flew out.

In the second half, Argentina continued to show a lack of creativity in attack. They sent Angel Di Maria onto the field and his presence brought positive changes. They created better pressure and in the end, the goal came in a set situation.

In the 78th minute, Messi took a free kick at his forte… He shot the ball accurately to a difficult angle, making goalkeeper Ecuadro only stand and watch. That was Messi’s 104th goal in 167 matches for the national team.

Ecuador also has a few notable ball situations, but they don’t have enough personnel to get the best tackles.

In the end, Argentina won 1-0 against Ecuador in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.