Argentina has officially begun their path to the next World Cup, which is slated to be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The defending champions made their debut in the qualifiers with an exciting home match against Ecuador, with Lionel Messi leading the way to a 1-0 victory.
All eyes were on Messi, who arrived in impressive form after his stellar performances at Inter Miami. In a display of his remarkable scoring prowess, it took Messi 78 minutes to find the back of the net with another free-kick goal.
Messi returned right where he left off playing for his country, as Argentina defeated a tough opponent. This goal marked the start of another chapter in the qualifiers, a competition that provides six direct spots to the main event in football.