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When we think of the rivalries of Argentina national football team, one thing is clear that they are one of the best teams in football history, mainly because of the most influential players like Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano etc. But do you know about any team who lost in the first half from Argentina but started to compete in recent times? Yes, in this article we will deep dive through Argentina national football team vs Ecuador national football team timeline.

Overview of Argentina National Football Team vs Ecuador National Football Team Timeline

The Argentina National Football team also nicknamed as La Selección (The Selection) or La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue) is Argentina’s men’s football team administered by Argentine Football Association

The Ecuador national football team also nicknamed as La Tricolor is a men’s international football team controlled by Ecuadorian Football Federation or FEF. They joined to FIFA in 1926 and Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol or CONMEBOL in the next year

Argentina national football team vs Ecuador national football team timeline: Their previous clashes

Argentina national football team vs Ecuador national football team timeline: Their previous clashes

Let’s go through the detailed summary of Argentina National Football Team vs Ecuador National Football Team Timeline

1941: The first rivalry

The Argentina National Football team and Ecuador National Football team started their first rivalry on 5 February 1941. The match was organized as the South American Championship, which is also known as Copa América. The initial clash between the both the teams led to the questioning of the future rivalries. Talking about the match, then Argentina was demonstrating their performance to Ecuador and hence won the rivalry 6-1. Through their performance, it was clearly indicated that Argentina was clearly dominating their performance and strength towards Ecuador. For the Argentina Team, the match was a clear and cut outplaying Ecuador in every aspect of the game, while talking about Ecuador, the match was a learning experience for them and they highlighted their areas on where they need to improve to compete with the continent’s best team

1960: Building the Rivalry

Their second match was during the 1960 Copa América where once again Argentina proved their superiority towards Argentina with a 3-0. The early matches were crucial for Argentina so that they could prove their superiority towards Ecuador. However, Ecuador didn’t think like that, instead they took as a gaining experience towards Argentina and grew as the team. The 1960 match was important as it led to the competitive spirit between the two teams which eventually helped to understand the team better. Talking about the people’s review, Argentina was praised for his brilliant performance and individual skills. People highlighted Ecuador as a weak team and could not future compete with Argentina. But as the pressure arises for the team, they do not seem to like it. Instead, they took the criticism as constructive criticism and eventually decided to grow further.

1963: The comeback of Ecuador with a draw

The third rivalry was in 1963 Copa América where Ecuador made a remarkable comeback of a draw with Argentina 2-2. The match was a milestone for Ecuador since they were able to show their potential with the stronger teams. It was clearly indicated that Ecuador has started to place their foot on Football. The draw of the team resulted in the boosting confidence of the Ecuador national football team and Ecuador was capable of competing with the best and could possibly dominate Argentina in the next years. For Argentina, it was a wake up call that they should not take any team lightly even though they dominated in the past. This is not because of this match, but also previously, a light competition eventually resulted in the good competitor. This match also added a new dimension of the rivalry that eventually makes future encounters unpredictable and full of excitement.

1975: Continued Dominance in Friendly Matches

Throughout the 1970s, Argentina could fully dominate Ecuador in the friendly matches. In 1975, they secured a victory of 2-1, which significantly gave the upper hand to Ecuador in the rivalry. However, the matches provided experience and skills enhancement for the Ecuadorian team, which eventually helped them to improve their game. Each match for Ecuador provided a learning opportunity, and Ecuador finally began to show gradual improvements. Although the match was dominated by Argentina, it is still analyzed that Ecuador has started to narrow the gap. These friendly matches were also essential for Ecuador since it would help them to gain tactical skills. By now, you might be thinking why I am so positive for Ecuador and predicted that it will dominate football in the upcoming future? Well, the answer is not so far now

1981: Another victory for Argentina

In a friendly match of 1981, Argentina still dominated the match by 1-0. These years were Argentina’s best years since it was marked by their consistent performance and victories towards Ecuador. This period was also highlighted as Argentina’s superiority and In depth of talent. The 1-0 victory surely reflects the ability of controlling the game. Talking about Ecuador, it was another step for developing their individual skills and the valuable experience towards the top tier teams. The encounters were shaping the competitive nature of the rivalry, with great matches that contributed to their growing intensity and unpredictability to the future games.

1995: A success rail in Copa América

In the year 1995, Argentina national football team defeated Ecuador with the biggest margin of 4-0. The matches where we expected a close rivalry between them were eventually won by the team Argentina. This period was also crucial since the team was preparing for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Argentina’s performance in 1995, was marked by exceptional skill and teamwork that eventually showcased them as the best teams in the world. For Ecuador, it was another game for the improvement in their performance. The Copa América encounters were also essential in building the competitive spirit between the teams.

1998: World cup qualifiers

During the 1998 world cup qualifiers, Argentina and Ecuador faced off in Buenos Aires where Argentina won the rivalry 2-0. The match highlighted the competitive nature for both the teams that strive for the spot for the prestigious tournament. The victory of Argentina demonstrates the tactical brilliance and the ability to perform under pressure. For Ecuador, it was another opportunity to test themselves as the best teams in the world. The World cup finals was crucial for the Argentina national football team vs Ecuador national football team timeline as it showcases the competitive spirit and determination of both the teams

2001: A historic win for Ecuador

Well, you might praise Argentina for dominating the matches, but not this time.. Finally, Ecuador won their rivalry with Argentina in their World Cup Qualifiers by 2-0. The win was celebrated in the nation and marked as a turning point for Argentina national football team vs Ecuador national football team timeline. It’s not only about the performance but also the belief in the minds of Ecuadorian teams and fans.

Other Matches

While we decided to write further, we analyzed it as boring since there are more topics to cover, if you are still interested. Let’s go through the below table for it

YearFormatResult
2005World cup qualifierEcuador won by 2-0
2011Copa AméricaDraw by 1-1
2016World Cup QualifierEcuador won by 2-0
2017World Cup QualifierArgentina won by 3-1
2020World Cup QualifierArgentina won by 1-0
2021Copa AméricaArgentina won by 3-0
2022World Cup QualifierDraw by 1-1

Squad of Argentina national football team vs Ecuador national football team timeline

The Argentina and Ecuador squads are discussed below. But before that, let me make one thing clear that the players mentioned below are the players of the last match.

Playing XI

ArgentinaEcuador
23 E. Martínez22 A. Domínguez
26 N. Molina2 F. Torres
13 C. G. Romero3 P. Hincapié
25 E. Martínez6 W. Pacho
3 N. Tagliafico8 C. Gruezo
7 R. De Paul10 K. Páez
20 Mac Allister13 E. Valencia (c)
24 E. Fernández16 J. Sarmiento
10 L. Messi (c)17 A, Preciado
22 L. Martínez21 A. Franco
15 N. González23 M. Caicedo

Substitutes

EcuadorArgentina
1 H. Galindez1 Armani
12 M. Ramirez12 Rulli
4 J. Ordóñez2 M. Quarta
5 J. Sifuentes4 Montiel
7 L. Loor5 Paredes
9 J. Yeboah6 Pezzella
11 K. Rodriguez8 M. Acuña
14 A. Minda9 J. Alvarez
15 A. Mena11 A. Di María
18 J. Ortiz14 Palacios
19 J. Caicedo16 Lo Celso
20 J. Corozo17 Garnacho
24 J. Hurtado18 J Rodríguez
25 J. Porozo19 Otamendi
26 A. Micolta21 Carboni

Most capped players of Argentina national football team and Ecuador national football team timeline

Let’s discuss the most capped players of the teams till now one by one

Argentina

RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareer
1Lionel Messi1871092005–present
2Javier Mascherano14732003–2018
3Ángel Di María145312008–2024
4Javier Zanetti14551994–2011
5Nicolás Otamendi11862009–present
6Roberto Ayala11571994–2007
7Diego Simeone104111988–2002
8Sergio Agüero101412006–2021
9Oscar Ruggeri9771983–1994
10Sergio Romero9602009–2018

Ecuador

RankPlayerCapsGoalsEcuador career
1Iván Hurtado16841992–2014
2Walter Ayoví12282001–2017
3Édison Méndez112182000–2014
4Álex Aguinaga109231987–2004
5Ulises de la Cruz10161995–2010
6Luis Capurro10011985–2003
7Antonio Valencia99112004–2019
8Giovanny Espinoza9032000–2009
9Enner Valencia90412012–present
10Segundo Castillo8892003–2016
11José Francisco Cevallos8801994–2010

Argentina national football team vs Ecuador national football team timeline upcoming matches

The latest match between Argentina and Ecuador is scheduled one year later, on 14 September 2025. The venue or the other thing will be discussed afterwards. By now lets see the Argentina national football team vs Ecuador national football team stats

RankClubMatches PlayedWonDrawLosePointsLast 5 matches
1Argentina760118WWLWW
2Uruguay742114DWWWD
3Columbia734013DDWWD
4Brazil731310DLLLW
5Venezuela72329DWDDL
6Ecuador72228WDDWL

Conclusion

When coming to an end, we can clearly analyse that although Argentina has an upper hand in the matches, the comeback of Ecuador was something unpredictable and exciting. Ecuador, does not only have Argentina as a competitor but other competitors too such as Brazil and Uruguay. If you are interested in any other rivalry, make sure to reach us through the comment section where we can analyse the teams and give the results related to it.

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