Is Lionel Messi playing for Argentina against Ecuador tomorrow?

Lionel Messi is expected to start when Argentina take on Ecuador in their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Thursday (September 7) in Buenos Aires. The defending champions will want to get their Qualifiers campaign off to a winning start.

There has been a lot of new changes in Messi's career since he last represented his national side back in June. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner joined MLS side Inter Miami on a free transfer and has been center to their rejuvenation. Messi has already won a trophy with Inter Miami, winning the 2023 Leagues Cup last month.

Lionel Messi will now return to his national team setup as Argentina seek qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to defend their crown. La Albiceleste take on Ecuador on Thursday with Messi expected to start and captain his side on that occasion.

The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar could be partnered alongside the likes of Angel Di Maria and Lautaro Martinez. Manager Lionel Scaloni and numerous other attacking options at his disposal, including Julian Alvarez and Angel Correa amongst others.

The 2026 World Cup qualification should be a straightforward affair as far Argentina are concerned. Six out of the 10 nations in the CONMEBOL group will directly qualify for the tournament in North America.

Ecuador, on the other hand, are already on the back foot even before the start of the qualifiers. They have been handed a three point deduction following the controversy surrounding Byron Castillo's fake birth certificate.

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How did Lionel Messi perform for Argentina against Ecuador during the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers?

Argentina and Lionel Messi faced Ecuador twice in the previous FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2022 world champions remained unbeaten. The South American giants won one and drew one against Ecuador last time around.

Argentina played Ecuador in their opening game of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers as well and secured a 1-0 win on that occasion. Lionel Messi scored a penalty in that game early in the first half.

The two sides then played out a 1-1 draw in the return fixture. Messi played the full 90 minutes in that game but failed to make a single goalscoring contribution. Julian Alvarez scored for Lionel Scaloni before Enner Valencia netted an injury-time equalizer to salvage a draw.

As things stand, Lionel Messi has scored 103 goals from 175 caps for the Argentine national team. This includes scoring seven goals in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.