Argentina closed their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 defeat against Ecuador on Tuesday, playing the final stages with just 10 men on the field and without Lionel Messi. The reigning World Cup champions had already secured the top spot in the CONMEBOL standings.
The match saw early drama when Argentina’s Nicolás Otamendi was sent off in the 31st minute for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Ecuador was later reduced to 10 players in the 51st minute after Moisés Caicedo received a straight red card for stomping on Nicolás González, having already been booked earlier.
In between the red cards, Enner Valencia scored from the penalty spot in the 13th minute of first-half stoppage time, securing Ecuador’s second-place finish in qualifying, nine points behind Argentina.
The match ended in a tense, physical showdown, highlighting the intensity of South American qualifiers even with World Cup positions already decided.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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