The forward and captain of the Argentina national team, Lionel Messi, could not finish the match with the Ecuadorian team 1-0 in the 2026 World Cup qualifying.
The 36-year-old striker scored the only goal in the 78th minute and was replaced by Exequiel Palacios in the 89th minute.
Messi was replaced in the official match of the national team for the first time in nine years. In the group stage match of the 2014 World Cup against Nigeria (3: 2), the striker made a double and was replaced by Ricky Alvarez in the 63rd minute.
Argentina will face Bolivia in the next round, while Ecuador will face Uruguay. Both matches will be played at night on September 13, Moscow time.
Messi, who played 175 matches for the national team, scored 103 goals and made 56 assists. In 2022, he won the World Cup held in Qatar with the national team. According to the tournament results, the striker was selected as the best player.
After playing with French team Paris Saint-Germain for two years, Messi transferred to American Inter Miami in the summer of 2023. The seven-time Golden Ball winner made his debut for the club by scoring a free kick in the first leg. His winning streak stopped at nine games.
Formerly Neymar named The most embarrassing loss of my career.