Scaloni warns about Ecuador’s strength ahead of qualifying clash with Argentina
Lionel Scaloni, coach of the Argentina national team, has issued a warning before the final round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s decisive match against Ecuador (09/09, 8 p.m. Brasília time), the multiple-title-winning manager predicted a difficult challenge for the reigning world champions.
Scaloni: “Ecuador is one of the best teams in the world”
Despite Argentina’s dominant 3-0 victory over Venezuela in their last outing, Scaloni stressed that Ecuador will not be an easy opponent.
“Ecuador is one of the best teams in the world,” he said, highlighting their growth and recent performances.
Ecuador’s Rise in South American Football
Ecuador sits fourth in the table, despite starting the campaign with a three-point deduction for irregular player registration. They have only two defeats so far and pushed Argentina to the limit in recent encounters:
- Copa América 2024: Eliminated by Argentina only on penalties in the quarterfinals.
- Recent head-to-heads: 2 wins and 2 draws for Argentina, but all matches were decided by narrow margins (three times 1-0, twice 1-1).
Argentina’s Dominance in the Qualifiers
The world champions lead the standings with a 10-point advantage over second place. Scaloni’s side, which lifted both the 2022 World Cup and the Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, arrive as heavy favorites but remain cautious.
World Cup 2026 Spots Already Decided
Qualified: Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay
Still fighting for playoffs: Venezuela and Bolivia
- Venezuela faces Colombia
- Bolivia faces Brazil
