Argentina player ratings vs Ecuador: Lionel Messi saves the day and ...

With the 2022 World Cup now behind them, Argentina's road to defending their title began on Thursday night. They hosted Ecuador in their first World Cup qualifier of this cycle, and as the match wore on, it became abundantly clear that the defending winners would need a hero.

And there's no prizes for guessing who that hero would inevitably be. Lionel Messi scored a stunning late free kick, lifting his side to a 1-0 win. Argentina were far from their best on this night, and Ecuador were more than good enough to contain them for large stretches. However, when one team has Messi in this kind of form, sometimes that's all it takes.

The Argentine captain wasn't the only standout, though. The attack, by and large, spluttered, but Argentina's midfield was as good as advertised. The trio of Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister have carried on momentum from last winter's World Cup and put in quite a shift to help their side to a win.

That's one win down for Argentina. They'll need more on this road to 2026 but, courtesy of their captain and hero, they're off to a solid start.

GOAL rates Argentina's players from the Estadio Monumental...

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