In the match of the Argentina national team, a rare event happened with Messi

On the night of September 8, at the stadium "Monumental Antonio Vespuccio Liberty" in Buenos Aires, the meeting of the first round of the qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Cup in South America was held, in which the Argentine team hosted opponents from Ecuador.

The current world champions in a rather difficult match celebrated a minimal victory with a score of 1:0.

The only goal of the game was scored by the home team in the 78th minute. It was chalked up by striker and Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi.

Interestingly, at the end of the meeting, Messi was replaced on the field by Exequiel Palacios.

The replacement of the leader of the Argentina national team in the official match of the Argentina national team has taken place for the first time since 2014. The last time he was changed was in the 2014 World Cup match against Nigeria (3:2), when he scored a brace.

Recall that according to the results of the selection of the 2026 World Cup in South America, there are six teams that will go directly to the final tournament. The qualifying tournament will end in September 2025.

The 2026 World Cup will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada.