Argentina and Ecuador are set to finish Conmebol World Cup qualifying this evening at 7:30 PM EST. Both nations are qualified to the World Cup in Qatar and are basically playing for bragging rights.
The match will be played in the soccer mad city of Guayaquil, a rarity for Ecuadorian World Cup qualifying matches as Ecuador usually play in the altitude of Quito. Argentina will be staying in the Oro Verde, a five-star hotel four blocks away from the Parque Centenario.
The directors of the Oro Verde have issued a warning to their employees concerning Lionel Messi, take a picture and get fired. Here is why the hotel took such a measure.
Oro Verde bosses will not allow selfies with Argentine players
Argentina line up during the national anthems before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification (Photo by Manuel Cortina/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Since Argentina arrived in Ecuador the hotel has had to deal with hundreds of fans looking for an autograph or catching a glimpse of Messi and his Argentina teammates. Given the influx of fans to the hotel the police had to put up checkpoints and closed off the street entering the hotel.
The reason the Oro Verde and Ecuadorian police have taken such measures is to give the Argentine national team as much peace of mind during their stay at the hotel. More than 100 fans were waiting for the team when they arrived at the hotel and the directors informed their employees to stick to the business at hand and not bother the Argentine players with selfie or autograph requests.
