“Otherwise I wouldn’t take him off” – Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni explains decision to substitute Lionel Messi after goal in win over Ecuador 

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni explained why he substituted Lionel Messi in the 89th minute during their 1-0 win against Ecuador yesterday (September 7).

The Albiceleste kicked off their CONMEBOL World Cup qualification campaign last night against South American nation Ecuador at the Estadio Mas Monumental.

The game was tightly contested for the majority of the 90 minutes. Despite, having more of the ball, Lionel Messi and Co. were unable to unlock a resilient Ecuadorian defense.

However, in the 78th minute, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner brilliantly dispatched his penalty into the bottom-left corner. This was his sixth goal for Argentina in just four games in 2023, proving class truly is permanent.

Even though the Albiceleste were able to see out a close 1-0 win, Messi was notably substituted in the 89th minute. This led to many fans fearing he may have picked up an injury.

Lionel Scaloni was questioned about it in a post-match press conference to which he replied (via @AlbicelesteTalk):

“Messi asked for a substitution, otherwise I wouldn’t take him off. Later we will evaluate what he has.”

Lionel Messi later admitted in another interview that he asked for the substitution because he was tired (via @AlbicelesteTalk):

“I came out because I was a bit tired. It's probably not the last time that will happen [come out during the last minutes of the game]. It’s all good, I’m fine.”

Argentina are currently first in their South American group with three points for the World Cup qualifiers, whereas Ecuador are last. Out of the 10 countries, only the top six will directly qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Lionel Messi's Argentina vs Ecuador: Exploring the stats from World Cup qualifier

Lionel Messi demonstrated his greatness once again as his free-kick was enough for Argentina to secure a 1-0 win against Ecuador last night. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both nations performed on the pitch.

Argentina dominated possession with 71% of the ball. They also completed 710 passes with an accuracy of 87%. In contrast, Ecuador only had 29% possession and completed just 294 passes (72% accuracy).

Lionel Scaloni's men were more industrious in attack, registering a total of 13 shots, but only four of those were on target. On the other hand, Ecuador had five shots, with three on target as they were unable to make the most of their chances.

Lionel Messi will next be in action against Bolivia on September 12.