Messi is inevitable! Legend saves Argentina’s blushes

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.

Goalkeeper & Defense

Emi Martinez (7/10):

Had to make a few straightforward saves and was solid enough with his distribution. No complaints.

Nicolas Tagliafico (7/10):

Got forward well, created a few chances and got one look at goal – which he hit as hard as can be – but unfortunately for him, it smacked the crossbar and flew over the net.

Nicolas Otamendi (7/10):

Fantastic on the ball, completing over 90 percent of his passes, and generally composed off of it as he swatted away Ecuador’s limited attacks.

Cristian Romero (9/10):

Misplaced just a single pass on the night and, like Otamendi, did a lot of sweeping up. The slightly better centerback of the two on the night.

Nahuel Molina (6/10):

Like Tagliafico, got forward well but was nowhere near as effective as his team-mate on the other side.

Midfield

Alexis Mac Allister (8/10):

Such a smart midfielder, who when called upon, does whatever Argentina need of him. Passing was good and he did plenty of dirty work defensively. One of those standout performances that, on first glance, doesn’t stand out because he did so many little things right.

Enzo Fernandez (7/10):

The match was very much billed as a clash of Chelsea midfield stars as Fernandez went toe-to-toe with Moises Caicedo. Fernandez was the better of the Chelsea two, looking every bit like the midfielder the Blues paid all that money for.

Rodrigo De Paul (7/10):

In Qatar, he was Messi’s bodyguard, and he still thrives in that role. Did it all defensively to allow Messi to thrive.

Attack

Nicolas Gonzalez (5/10):

A muted performance from the Fiorentina winger all the way up until he was replaced by the man he may very well replace in this team, Angel Di Maria.

Lautaro Martinez (4/10):

Wasted multiple chances that, if playing for Inter, you’d have bet on him to convert. Hasn’t scored for his country in nearly a year, and it’s starting to get a bit worrying.

Lionel Messi (8/10):

All of these years later, he can still score goals like that. His free kick earned Argentina all three points as Messi saved the day even as the rest of the attack stalled.