3 Thoughts: Lionel Messi Makes Cameo, Argentina Defeats Ecuador 1-0 at Soldier Field

Ángel Di Maria scored the only goal as Argentina defeated Ecuador 1-0 in a Copa América warm-up at Soldier Field that featured Lionel Messi coming off the bench for the 2022 World Cup winners.

Shots (On Goal): ARG: 10 (4). ECU: 4 (1)

Possession: Argentina 65% - 35% Ecuador

Goalscorer: ARG: 40’ Ángel Di María assisted by Cristian Romero

My 3 thoughts on the spectacle:

Lionel Messi Actually Showed Up

The big question was always whether or not Lionel Messi would be available for this match, and he made his cameo appearance in the 56th minute. His appearance was greeted with applause from the entire stadium as the Chicago crowd was thrilled to finally see him play at Soldier Field again after last year’s fiasco with Messi missing the Chicago Fire vs. Inter Miami match.

Messi immediately made himself known and nearly doubled his side’s lead in the 60th minute. He played a perfectly weighted pass to Enzo Fernandez near the end line, but the Chelsea striker’s effort was saved by the sliding Hernán Galindez.

Messi’s impact was minimal in the match but his appearance on the pitch was enough to send the over 50,000 people in attendance home with a new core soccer memory.

All Argentina at Soldier Field

Argentina had its moment of brilliance in the first half in the 40th minute and took the 1-0 lead because of it. Ángel Di Maria played a lovely give-and-go with Tottenham’s Cristian Romero at the edge of Ecuador’s penalty area before Argentina’s No. 11 slotted a left-footed strike into the corner of the net. It was just what the crowd needed after a dull first 40 minutes, and it was appropriate as Argentina had 78% possession and both shots on goal in the first half.

Messi came on in the 56th minute and that didn’t really do much to help invigorate Argentina’s attack. The 3 Estrellas cruised to their 1-0 win by dominating possession throughout and only allowing a single shot on target for Ecuador at Soldier Field.

Chicago Loves Top-Level Soccer

This Copa América tune-up was a reminder of why Chicago needs to fight to host international soccer matches in the future. Chicago won’t be utilized in this summer’s Copa América nor the 2026 World Cup despite the city’s continued passion for the sport, particularly on the international stage.

A crowd of 51,096 people packed into Soldier Field to get a glimpse of Lionel Messi and the 2022 World Cup winners less than 24 hours after over 35,000 saw the Red Stars face off against Bay FC at Wrigley Field. This city will come out in droves for top-level soccer.

Over 86,000 soccer fans in a single weekend between an NWSL regular season match and an international friendly with the best men’s player in the world proved that Chicago can host world-class events in this sport.