27 days after the start of USA/Canada/Mexico 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Spain coach Félix Sánchez Bas revealed that it is a “big challenge” for the Ecuadorian team to start this new process against reigning champions Argentina and crack Lionel Messi.

The match will be played on Thursday, September 7, starting at 19:00 at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, owned by River Plate.

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“It is a big challenge to start the qualification against the world champion in your field. But hey, I think this group of players is an ambitious group, they’re competitive and they want to show they can go up against them,” the European coach told the daily. ole.

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“We know that it will be very difficult and that we are facing an opponent who, in addition to the collective level, also has an individual level with excellent players. We are excited to try to get off to a good start by competing with the best today,” he stated.

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Sánchez Bas pointed out that “Messi showed that he is the best player in the world.” He managed to keep it up for many years in a row and it shows what a great player he is, the best.”

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For the match against the world star, the coach of the tricolor commented: “There will be two factors for this clash, the first will be that he (Messi) does not have his best day, that is also very important. And then, individually and collectively, let’s try to stop him, so that he doesn’t feel comfortable or accepted in those comfort zones and could create a danger for us.

“We know that it is very difficult because he is a very smart and experienced player, who knows how to find spaces and moments where he can intervene, but we will try to minimize that risk,” he added.

On winger Byron Castillo, for whom La Tri was penalized with three demerit points, Sánchez Bas said: “It (the challenge filed before the Swiss court to overturn the sanction handed down by CAS) is in the process, an appeal has been filed and we are waiting for a decision. We know that we started with three points less, but we want to win the qualifications on the field and we will play every game to try to score and thus win the right to the next World Cup.”

After the match against Argentina, Tricolore is waiting for a duel with Uruguay starting at 16:00 at Rodrigo Paz Stadium, owned by Liga de Quito. (D)