Lionel Messi's corner kick gave Argentina a 1-0 lead over Ecuador in tonight's Copa America quarterfinal at NRG Stadium in Houston. Watch it in English on FOX and in Spanish on Univision/TUDN.
Lisandro Martinez scored after 35 minutes to give the reigning world champions an early lead, before Messi's left-footed shot gave both teams more momentum in the second half.
Argentina had hoped that Messi would be healthy enough to return for the quarterfinals, and with his injury showing signs of improving during his short recovery period, the question was whether he would come off the bench or start against Ecuador.
Messi has been recovering for the past nine days from a right groin/adductor injury. He sustained the injury in a 1-0 win over Chile on June 25 and missed last Saturday's 2-0 win over Peru in Miami.
Here's what you need to know as USA TODAY Sports brings you live updates from Thursday night's match between Argentina and Ecuador.
Lionel Messi sets Copa America minutes record: Argentina 1, Ecuador 0
Messi also set another record in his career: the most minutes played in the Copa America. He played 66 minutes.Number Play 3063rd The longest minute in the tournament's history.
Enel Valencia misses penalty: Argentina 1, Ecuador 0
Ecuador missed a golden opportunity to equalise when Enel Valencia missed a vital penalty that hit the left post.
Argentina got lucky despite Argentine goalkeeper Dyb Martinez anticipating the opposite side of the goal he had to defend.
It appears that Argentina's Rodrigo de Paul collided with Ecuador's Alan Franco during a corner kick, causing a penalty.
Lautaro Martinez swings but misses wide: Argentina 1, Ecuador 0.
Copa America top scorer Lautaro Martinez had a shot on goal but it went wide of the left post. Argentina hadn't taken many shots in the game, only scoring their fourth in the 55th minute.Number minutes.
Messi suffers early blow in first half: Argentina 1, Ecuador 0
Messi appeared OK, putting his socks back on and withstanding a tackle from an Ecuadorian player with help from his teammates after 50 metres.Number However, Argentina's Cristian Romero and Ecuador's Moises Caicedo both received treatment on the pitch after colliding with each other.
Messi starts the second half: Argentina 1, Ecuador 0
Lionel Messi started in the second half against Ecuador, playing his first game since his right groin/adductor injury. It's unclear how much Messi will play, and whether he'll be substituted early or play until the end, but he has already made his mark on the game.
Lisandro Martinez goals: Argentina 1, Ecuador 0
Lionel Messi took a corner kick, Alexis Mac Allister headed it in and Lisandro Martinez found the back of the net to give Argentina a 1-0 lead over Ecuador.
Although Messi did not provide an assist, his corner kick gave Argentina an early lead in the 35th minute.
Earlier, Enzo Fernandez could only smile after his shot hit an Ecuadorian defender in front of him in the 34th minute.
Enzo Fernández misses header: Argentina 0, Ecuador 0
Argentina's first shot of the game came in the 27th minute, when Enzo Fernández's header went just wide of the goalpost.
Ecuador's defense was stifled in the opening minutes of the match, squeezing Argentina's most pressing spaces.
Messi has had a few touches on the ball but has yet to produce results.
Ecuador's Jeremy Sarmiento misses the goal: Argentina 0, Ecuador 0
Ecuador's Jeremy Sarmiento didn't get enough touches but still managed to threaten Argentina, but goalkeeper Dib Martinez shone again with his seventh save of the Copa America despite being limited in shots in the group stage matches.
Ecuador has early goal chances: Argentina 0, Ecuador 0
Argentina goalkeeper Dyb Martinez made the save, but Ecuador's attacks tested Argentina's defense early on.
Messi waves to his family in the stands
Lionel Messi waves to his family in the stands before tonight's match.
Messi and family arrive for the match against Ecuador
As Messi disembarked from the team bus, his family entered Houston's NRG Stadium, where tonight's match will be played.
Messi in Argentina's starting line-up for the match against Ecuador
Ahead of tonight's match, ESPN Argentina reports the initial lineup with Messi in the starting line-up.
What time does the Copa America match between Argentina and Ecuador start?
The match between Argentina and Ecuador kicks off at 9pm ET (7pm GALT and 8pm ECT in Ecuador, 10pm ART in Argentina).
How can I watch Argentina vs Ecuador on TV or live stream?
Thursday's match between Argentina and Ecuador will be broadcast on FOX (English) and Univision/TUDN (Spanish).
FOX Sports will be broadcasting the Copa America matches live. Matches can also be streamed on Fubo, and Vix will offer a streaming option for the Spanish language broadcast.
Will Messi play against Ecuador tonight?
Messi's playing time may be limited after his return from injury – it would be foolhardy to force him to play the full 90 minutes unless he wants to play the whole game – but how much will he play?
Argentine news outlet TYCSports reported on Thursday morning that Messi is expected to start against Ecuador following his performance in training on Wednesday.
“He finished training very well yesterday and the captain feels good to be in the starting line-up,” TYC Sports source Gaston Edur said ahead of the match.
Argentina and Ecuador to meet again in Copa America quarterfinals
Argentina defeated Ecuador 3-0 in the quarterfinals of the Copa America 2021 to advance to the final. Messi scored a free kick and provided two assists to help the team win the match. The goal and second assist came in the 84th minute.Number minutes.
What did the Argentina coach say about Messi?
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said he would speak with Messi before the club's training session on Wednesday and decide how much Messi will play against Ecuador.
“I think it's fair to wait until the last moment,” Scaloni said, referring to Messi training again on Wednesday. “I think it's fair for him to take his time and train as much as he can. So I'll talk to him after training, no, before training, and then I'll make a decision.”
How did Messi recover from his injury?
Messi took part in his second full training session with his Argentina teammates in Houston on Wednesday night, a day after his first training session, and was a limited participant in Monday's training session. Since his injury, Messi has only worked with trainers before returning to training.
How did Messi perform in the Copa America?
Messi helped Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Canada in the opening match of the Copa America but has yet to score in either match.
Who will the winner of Argentina vs. Ecuador face in the Copa America semi-finals?
The winner of Argentina vs. Ecuador will advance to face the winner of Friday's match between Venezuela and Canada in the semifinals, to be played on July 9 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
When are the other Copa America quarterfinal matches?
The Copa America quarterfinals will see Argentina play Ecuador on Thursday, followed by another match on Friday and concluding with two matches on Saturday.
- Venezuela and Canada will face off at 9pm ET on Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
- Colombia and Panama will meet at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday at 6pm ET.
- Uruguay and Brazil will face off at 9 p.m. Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
All games will be broadcast on FS1 in English and Univision/TUDN in Spanish.
Odds to win the 2024 Copa America
According to BetMGM soccer odds, Argentina is the favorite to win the Copa America in 2024. Want to place a bet? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering sports betting promotions in 2024. Here are the odds as of Thursday:
- Argentina (+125)
- Brazil (+333)
- Colombia (+550)
- Uruguay (+550)
- Venezuela (+2500)
- Ecuador (+3300)
- Canada (+4000)
- Panama (+10000)
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