Cristian Romero was injured during his time away from the national team.

Argentina defeated Ecuador 1-0 at El Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at 9:00 a.m. ET on Monday in the first leg of the South American Zone qualifier for the FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026.

The journey to the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, has begun. The South American region also began qualifying this September with the A-Match period. Defending champion Argentina faced Ecuador in their first match.

Argentina deployed a 4-3-3 formation. Gonzalez, Lautaro, and Messi lined up up front, while McAllister, Enzo, and De Paul formed the midfield. The back four was a combination of Taliafico, Otamendi, Romero, and Molinha, with Martinez in goal.

Ecuador countered with a 5-3-2 formation. Valencia and Plata started up top, with Caicedo, Guezo, and Cifuentes in the midfield. In the back, Estupin, Pacho, Arboleda, Torres, and Hurtado combined, with Gindes in goal.

The result was a victory for Argentina. It was Argentina who set the tone, but Ecuador also had a few chances, and the 0-0 scoreline remained for a long time. But it was Messi who broke the deadlock. In the 33rd minute of the second half, Messi took a free kick and rattled the net with a sharp kick. In the end, Argentina held on for a thrilling one-goal victory. 토토사이트

Argentina will now face Bolivia in the second round of qualifying on July 13. Ahead of that game, however, there was a potential injury setback. That player is Romero. Romero is the main defender for the Argentine national soccer team. He played the entire match.

However, after the game, Luis Fregosi, who works for Argentina’s Mundo Boca Radio, said on September 9, “We don’t know if Romero will be able to travel to Bolivia. He has a muscle injury in his right leg and will undergo tests. Depending on the results, it will be decided whether he will play or return to Tottenham.”

Romero is a defensive stalwart not only for Argentina but also for Tottenham Hotspur. Prior to joining Spurs, Romero spent time on loan at Atalanta, where he won the Italian Serie A’s best defender award in the 2020-21 season. He then moved to Tottenham and quickly became a regular starter. This season, he was named vice-captain and is part of the team leadership group alongside Son Heung-min.

Spurs don’t play in European competitions, so once the international break is over, they will only play one game a week for a while. They will have to face tough opponents such as Arsenal and Liverpool, but they should be physically fit. However, if the injury to key defender Romero is prolonged, the gap in strength will be painful.