Argentina National Football Team vs Ecuador National Football Team Timeline

The historical rivalry between the Argentina and Ecuador football teams has grown from unilateral matches to fiercely competitive matches. Argentina has a rich history of soccer, with multiple World Cup titles and legendary players like Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. While traditionally considered underdogs, Ecuador’s national team has grown and improved in the last 20 years, with great success in World Cup qualifying and the COPA America. While Argentina has had the run of play throughout history vs Ecuador, some surprising results by Ecuador have pushed this developing rivalry further. The matches between these two nations also have a level of intensity and passion that the nations create from a place of national pride. Argentina National Football Team vs Ecuador National Football Team Timeline covers some key match-ups, key moments, key goals, and critical periods that illustrate the development in soccer between these two nations.

Table of Contents

Argentina vs Ecuador Head-to-Head Record

Argentina and Ecuador teams have met in 41 matches so far on the Football field. Argentina, being dominant over Ecuador, won 25 matches, while Ecuador won only 5 matches, and 11 matches finished as a draw.

Argentina	Head-to-Head Record	Ecuador
41	Total Matches played	41
25	Won	05
11	Drawn	11
05	Lost	25

1941 to 1970s: Initial Matches

Argentina vs. Ecuador 1941—Argentina and Ecuador played their first match in the football rivalry on 16 February 1941. It was a group stage match of the South American Championship, which Argentina won 6-1. This is the first win for Argentina against Ecuador. JM Marvezzi was the star of the match, scoring all six goals for Argentina.

Argentina vs. Ecuador 1942— In the 1942 Copa America group stage game, Argentina defeated Ecuador 12-0, the largest margin victory in the tournament’s history. The match opened with a goal by Enrique García just two minutes after the playing whistle, marking a strong start for Argentina. José Manuel Moreno highlighted the performance with an impressive five-goal game, completing a first-half hat-trick with goals in the 12th, 16th, and 22nd minutes, and scoring again in the 32nd and 89th minutes. Adolfo Pedernera netted a goal in the 25th minute.

Herminio Masantonio had an equally impressive showing, with four goals scored in the second half. Masantonio scored in the 54th, 65th, 68th, and 70th minutes, completing a hat-trick in 15 minutes. Argentina’s victory over Ecuador is one of the most memorable performances in Copa America history.

Argentina vs. Ecuador 1947— Argentina once again defeated Ecuador, winning the match by 2-0. Jose Manuel Moreno and Norberto Doroteo Mendez hit 1 goal each in the match.

Ecuador vs Argentina 1959- The 1959 match between the two teams ended with a draw, with 1-1 goals. It was the rare draw that showed Ecuador as an emerging competitor in South American football. Carlos Alberto Raffo from Ecuador scored one goal, and Ruben Hector Sosa, a player of the Argentina team, scored 1 goal in the match.

Argentina vs Ecuador 1960- It was the FIFA World Cup Qualification Group 1 Match, Argentina secured a huge win over Ecuador by 5-0. In 90 minutes, the Argentina team scored five goals. In the sixth minute of play, Romulo Gomez scored one goal in his goal post. Oreste Omar Corbatta earned Argentina a penalty kick in the 55th minute of play.

1981 to 2000s: Middle Clashes:

Argentina vs Ecuador 1989: Argentina toured Ecuador for the first International Friendly match on 13th April 1989. This match ended with a draw between the two teams with a 2-2 scoreline. In the 57th minute of the match, Ecuador was awarded a penalty, earned by Hamilton Emilio Cuvi.

Ecuador v Argentina 1994- Ecuador finally won its first ever game against Argentina by a score of 1-0 after much anticipation. It was an International Friendly game held in 1994. Byron Zosimo Tenorio nailed it and scored the only goal of the match in the 72nd minute of the game.

Ecuador v Argentina 1996- It was the Qualifier match of the FIFA World Cup between Argentina and Ecuador. Ecuador, being dominant over Argentina, won this match by 2-0. Alberto Guilermo Montano hit a goal in the 51st minute of the match. Eduardo Hurtado hit a goal in the 90th minute of the match and led his team to a win. Ecuador secured its first-ever competitive win over Argentina — a signal of a shifting balance in the CONMEBOL football environment.

Ecuador v Argentina, 2005 Qualifier Match- It was a Qualifier match between the teams that ended in a draw with 1–1. A tight draw in Buenos Aires, showing Ecuador’s ability to challenge Argentines even at Argentina’s home. Patricio Urrutia, a player of Ecuador, scored a goal in the 69th minute of the match. Rodrigo Palacio, a player of Argentina, scored a goal in the 89th minute of the match to equalize in the dying moments of the match and saved his team from the shame of losing at home.

Ecuador v Argentina, 2009 Qualifier Match- Argentina and Ecuador played another World Cup Qualifier match. The match was held in Quito. Ecuador once again earned a victory against Argentina, winning the match by 2-0. With home advantage, Ecuador secured a significant victory, underpinning their growing consistency in qualifiers. Walter Ayoví scored in the 72nd minute, while Pablo Palacios scored in the 83rd minute.

2011 to Recent Matches:

Ecuador v Argentina, 2012 Qualifier Match- In the 2012 World Cup qualifier held in Buenos Aires, Argentina defeated Ecuador 4-0. Sergio Agüero opened the scoring in the 19th minute, followed by Gonzalo Higuaín in the 29th minute. Lionel Messi scored a third goal in the 31st minute, followed by Ángel Di María’s fourth goal in the 76th minute to seal the game. Argentina took 9 shots on goal, while Ecuador took only 3. Argentina took 11 shot attempts, while Ecuador took 3. Argentina earned 5 corner kicks while Ecuador took 11 corner kicks.

Ecuador v Argentina, 2013 Qualifier Match- It was another Qualifier match of the FIFA World Cup held at Quito. This match ended in a draw. One of the game’s key moments was when Sergio Agüero scored a penalty in the fourth minute. Ecuador’s team possession is higher in the 2013 Qualifier Match with 59%. Argentina took 8 shots on goal, while Ecuador took 5. Argentina took 15 shot attempts, while Ecuador took 25. Argentina received four yellow cards, while Ecuador received three.

Argentina v Ecuador 2020 Qualifier Match- It was the World Cup qualifier match between the teams held on the home ground of Argentina. Argentina defeated Ecuador by winning the match 1-0. Lionel Messi was awarded a penalty in the 13th minute of the match, which is a significant moment of the game.

Argentina v Ecuador 2021 Copa America Quarter Final Match- Argentina clinched a victory in the quarter-final match over Ecuador by winning 3-0. Rodrigo De Paul hit the first goal of the match in the 40th minute. Lionel Messi scored the third goal in the final minute of the game, while Lautaro Martínez scored the second one in the 84th minute. Argentina took 8 shots on goal, while Ecuador took 2.

Argentina v Ecuador 2024 Copa America Quarter Final Match- This match ended in a draw with a 1-1 scoreline. Both teams took advantage of the penalty. Lisandro Martínez, from the Argentina team, earned a penalty in the 35th minute of the match. Kevin Rodríguez from the Ecuador team earned a penalty in 90+1 minutes. Argentina won the penalty shootouts 4-2 to qualify for the semis of the 2024 Copa America.