Lionel Messi's record vs. Ecuador

Still boasting a 100% success rate at the 2024 Copa America, reigning champions Argentina continue the defence of their crown on Thursday, clashing with Ecuador in the quarter-finals in Houston, Texas. The current World Cup holders earned nine points from nine in group clashes against Canada, Chile and Peru, scoring five goals while conceding none, four of which were netted by Lautaro Martinez. However, Lionel Messi ended the group stage with no goals to his name - being benched for the final encounter with Peru - and there are still some concerns over his fitness for the Houston showdown. There is still every chance that the 37-year-old will overcome that thigh complaint, though, and here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at his record in previous matches against Ecuador.

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Lionel Messi's record against Ecuador

Played: 11 Won: 7 Drawn: 3 Lost: 1 Goals: 7 Assists: 3

Messi has registered 10 goal contributions in his previous 11 meetings with Ecuador, netting seven goals and 

However, Argentina not always had it their own way in the head-to-head matches that Messi has played, having failed to win four of those 11 encounters. 

Messi's first taste of action against Ecuador in a 2010 World Cup qualifier was one of those stalemates - he played the full 90 in that 1-1 draw in June 2008 - almost exactly 12 months before his sole loss, 1-0 in the same section in June 2009.

The Inter Miami forward had to wait another three years to put things right, which he did emphatically in a 2014 World Cup qualifier in June 2012, scoring one and assisting another as captain in a 4-0 triumph. 

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A few clashes between Argentina and Ecuador then came and went without Messi present due to injuries, but he returned to this fixture with a bang in November 2017, scoring all three of his side's goals in a 3-1 World Cup qualifying success.

The attacker's contributions would again prove decisive in another preliminary World Cup victory - 1-0 in October 2020, courtesy of his solitary strike - before Argentina and Ecuador locked horns in their most recent major tournament contest at the 2021 Copa America, coincidentally also in the quarter-finals.

On that occasion, Messi taught La Tri a footballing lesson with a goal and two assists in a 3-0 win en route to South American stardom, before also netting the decisive effort in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying success in September 2023. 

The ex-Barcelona man only played 34 minutes off the bench in a 1-0 friendly win in June 2024, before he started against Ecuador less than a month later in the 2024 Copa America quarter-finals.

Messi surprisingly missed his penalty in a shootout in that encounter, although it did not prove costly as Argentina managed to advance thanks to Emiliano Martinez's heroics.