USA and Ecuador Draw in Thrilling World Cup 2026 Venue Showcase
The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, hosted a thrilling international friendly between the United States and Ecuador. This venue is set to stage matches at the 2026 World Cup. The game saw a late equalizer from AS Monaco's Folarin Balogun for the United States, cancelling out Enner Valencia's early strike for Ecuador.
Ecuador, who secured their World Cup spot behind Argentina in South American qualifiers, took an early lead in the 24th minute through Valencia. However, the United States fought back and found an equalizer in the 71st minute courtesy of Balogun. This draw follows a similar result in another friendly, where the United States and Ecuador shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in Austin, Texas.
Meanwhile, Argentina secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Venezuela in a friendly. Despite the absence of superstar Lionel Messi, Argentina managed to grind out a win thanks to a goal from Giovani Lo Celso, assisted by Lautaro Martinez. This victory came after Argentina struggled against Venezuela, highlighting their ability to win even without their talisman.
The United States and Ecuador played out an exciting draw at the Hard Rock Stadium, with both teams showing strong performances. Argentina, meanwhile, secured a victory over Venezuela in a friendly, demonstrating their resilience and depth despite missing Messi. Looking ahead, Argentina will face Puerto Rico in another friendly on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, following Puerto Rico's game against the United States, which was moved from Chicago to Florida due to unrest related to ICE raids and President Trump's planned use of the National Guard.
