Angel Di Maria found the back of the net as Lionel Messi made his long-awaited return to the international stage after six months, leading Argentina to a 1-0 win over Ecuador in a friendly match ahead of the Copa America. Messi, who was nursing a hamstring injury, made his appearance in the second half, replacing Di Maria in the 56th minute. The decision to rest Messi for the first half was a precautionary measure by Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni to ensure the star player’s fitness for the upcoming tournament. Di Maria’s goal, assisted by Christian Romero, put Argentina ahead in the 40th minute, securing a victory for the team.
Lionel Messi made a comeback to the Argentina squad on Sunday evening for their match against Ecuador.
Before his comeback at Soldier Field in Chicago, Messi had been absent from playing for his country for half a year. Scaloni highlighted the importance of facing tough rivals like Ecuador, as it helps the team prepare for the upcoming Copa America. Di Maria, who scored in the recent match against Costa Rica as well, now has 31 goals for Argentina, tying with Gonzalo Higuain. Argentina has maintained a winning streak against Ecuador since 2019, and Scaloni emphasized the team’s goal to continue competing at their best, with upcoming Copa America matches and qualifiers to look forward to. The next phase for Argentina includes a warmup game against Guatemala in Washington D.C. before their Copa America opener against Canada on June 20. Ecuador will face Bolivia and Honduras in international friendlies before kicking off their Copa America campaign against Venezuela on June 22.