Lionel Messi led Argentina to a historic victory in Qatar at the end of 2022, and the Inter Miami striker is now hoping to lead the squad to the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
CONEMBOL World Cup qualifying will be difficult for Messi and colleagues, with 18 matches scheduled until September 2025 as part of a massive challenge to reach the tournament.
Argentina has risen to the top of the FIFA global rankings, with archrival Brazil dropping from first to third since the start of 2023. As a result, they are heavy favourites to win their first encounter against Ecuador.
Lineups for Argentina vs. Ecuador
Lionel Messi will lead Argentina in his 176th international appearance, while fellow World Cup winners Lisandro Martinez and Rodrigo De Paul are also expected to start.
Lionel Scaloni has also targeted several young players for 2023, although Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho will have to wait a bit longer. His club partner Lisandro Martinez has also been overlooked for this encounter, with experienced Nicolas Otamendi preferred at the back.
The following are the confirmed starting lineups for both sides ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifier on September 7 at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Argentina’s starting eleven
This international window was expected to herald the long-awaited switch from Angel Di Maria to Alejandro Garnacho on the left side. Garnacho has been electrifying for Manchester United and has earned greater playing time. While an ankle injury prevented him from competing in the 2022 World Cup, he is now considered the heir apparent to Di Maria’s role out wide.
That will have to wait, as Nico Gonzalez will be playing out wide left instead of Garnacho. Lionel Scaloni has started Lautaro Martinez up front, rewarding him for his strong start to the season for Inter Milan, while Julian Alvarez starts on the bench.
While Marcos Acuna has been the usual starter at left-back for some time, he was not selected into the team since his playing time at his club Sevilla is decreasing. Nicolas Tagliafico will take his position, with uncapped Lucas Esquivel acting as a backup.
Ecuador kicks off at 11 a.m.
Moises Caicedo, who rose to prominence at Brighton before joining La Tri, is certainly the most notable player for the club. Despite his young age, the 21-year-old broke the British transfer record and has 32 international caps to his credit.
Ecuador head coach Felix Sanchez will once again have captain Enner Valencia leading the line for La Tri, but choosing his striking partner will be difficult. Sanchez’s decision not to bring in Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami colleague Leonardo Campana has been widely criticised. Instead, he’ll be paired with Gonzalo Plata, since Kevin Rodriguez and Jhojan Julio were both passed over.
Telemundo and Univision have acquired broadcast rights for Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers in the United States, thanks to a last-minute arrangement. This implies that spectators in the United States should be able to watch the game through ViX, TelevisaUnivision’s Spanish-language service.
The match will not be accessible in territories like as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
CONMEBOL has so far agreed to sell individual broadcast rights to 2026 World Cup qualifiers, enabling the host nation’s federation to sell the rights for each match.
Service for streaming Fanatiz has bought the rights to some CONMEBOL matches during the September international window, although neither Argentina match is currently included.
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