Messi’s free-kick goal gives Argentina 1-0 win over Ecuador in World Cup qualifier

Lionel Messi rescues Argentina with late free kick, Colombia beats Venezuela 1-0. Messi's 104th goal in 176 int'l appearances secured 1-0 win vs Ecuador in 1st round of WCQ. Colombia's Rafael Santos Borré header in 46th min gave 1-0 win vs Venezuela. Paraguay & Peru drew 0-0. Argentina & Colombia lead standings with 3 pts, Paraguay & Peru have 1. Ecuador has -3 pts due to FIFA punishment.

Once again, and now as a World Cup champion, Lionel Messi came to Argentina's rescue when the team most needed him.

The 36-year-old captain scored from a free kick in the 78th minute to give Argentina a 1-0 win against Ecuador in the first round of South American World Cup qualifying on Thursday.

It was Messi's 104th goal in 176 international appearances, including his 29th in World Cup qualifying. Those 29 goals equal the record of Luis Suárez of Uruguay.

More than 83,000 fans at the nearly full Monumental de Nuñez Stadium were getting jittery until Messi scored, with their team having hit the post and the bar during the match, and offering Ecuador several chances to counter.

Ecuador kept Argentina at bay during most of the match with a defensive line of five players, led by Moisés Caicedo, which put Messi under wraps during most of the clash in Buenos Aires. But the decisive moment of the star was enough to beat the hard-working Ecuadorians.

Goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez did not move as Messi's shot from the edge of the box went to the back of the net, near the left post.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who completed five years in the job on Thursday, surprised fans with a different formation from the one that played and won the World Cup final over France in Qatar. He benched Ángel Di María and started Nicolás González.