Argentina's captain, Lionel Messi, has said they are the team everyone wants to beat.

Messi made the comment following a 1-0 win over Ecuador in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Thursday night.

It was the 36-year-old’s free-kick in the 78th minute that sealed victory for his country.

“It was shown in the two friendlies and today, by the points, that this group is not going to relax beyond what it achieved. It was historic and extraordinary.

“We know that if we go down a little, they will pass us over. There are going to be tough matches like this. Defeats, surely.

“We have to be as we are now, with our feet on the ground. Fight every game, as we have been fighting since Scaloni started with All this,” Messi said.