Argentina, known as the "Pampas Eagles," lost 0-1 to Ecuador in the final round of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, after Nicolas Otamendi received a red card and conceded a penalty. Argentina midfielder De Paul expressed their commitment to the game and expressed their belief that the team still has room for improvement in various areas.

In the 30th minute of the game, Enner Valencia was brought down by Otamendi when he received a long pass from his teammate and tried to attack. The referee showed Otamendi a red card, and Argentina could only hold on with 10 players.

In first-half stoppage time, Preciado was knocked down by Tagliafico while vying for the ball, leading to a penalty kick awarded to Ecuador. Enner Valencia then converted the penalty kick, giving Ecuador a 1-0 lead.

In the end, Argentina defeated Ecuador 1-0. Despite the defeat, Scaloni's team still secured a ticket to the World Cup finals with first place.

"There are always areas where we need to improve and correct," said De Paul, 31. "The course of this game was a little complicated for us, but I think we had the upper hand in the second half."

"We had a great qualifier and finished first, which is also worthy of recognition. What we did may seem simple, but in fact we always maintained a serious attitude and set strict standards for ourselves. The team played very well throughout the qualifiers."

In addition, Argentine defender Tagliafico said, "We have performed very well for a long time. Although we encountered this setback, we still performed well throughout the process. Maintaining the desire to win is one of the greatest characteristics of this team."