Otamendi sent off, Mastantuono wears No 10 as Argentina fall to Ecuador

Argentina closed their South American 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on a flat note, falling 1-0 to Ecuador in Guayaquil on Wednesday (Bangladesh time).

With Lionel Messi absent and Lionel Scaloni fielding an alternative lineup, the world champions struggled for rhythm in a tense contest that saw two red cards and a decisive VAR intervention.

The turning point arrived in first-half stoppage time. Nicolas Otamendi, already under pressure at the back, conceded a penalty and was sent off in the process in the 31st minute. Otamendi's dismissal means he will miss Argentina's World Cup opener in North America.

In the stoppage time of the first half, after a lengthy review, Enner Valencia converted from the spot to give Ecuador the lead.

Scaloni's side pressed after the break, but their efforts lacked precision. Ecuador's Moises Caicedo was shown a straight red midway through the second half, restoring numerical parity, yet Argentina failed to carve out a clear chance of an equaliser.

Even with 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono wearing the No 10 shirt in Messi's absence and replacing Leandro Paredes in the 62nd minute, the spark was missing.

Messi, who had played his final qualifier at home in the 3-0 win over Venezuela, sat out as planned after agreeing on rest with Scaloni. Despite missing six matches in this cycle, he finished as the tournament's top scorer with eight goals -- enough to secure his first-ever Conmebol World Cup Qualifiers Golden Boot. Colombia's Luis Díaz and Bolivia's Miguel Terceros followed closely behind with seven apiece.

Argentina had already secured their ticket to the 2026 World Cup along with Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, and Paraguay. The only uncertainty in the final round centred on the playoff spot, with Venezuela and Bolivia fighting for seventh place.