Still boasting a 100% success rate at the 2024 Copa America, reigning champions Argentina continue the defence of their crown on Thursday, clashing with Ecuador in the quarter-finals in Houston, Texas.

The current World Cup holders earned nine points from nine in group clashes against Canada, Chile and Peru, scoring five goals while conceding none, four of which were netted by Lautaro Martinez.

However, Lionel Messi ended the group stage with no goals to his name - being benched for the final encounter with Peru - and there are still some concerns over his fitness for the Houston showdown.

There is still every chance that the 37-year-old will overcome that thigh complaint, though, and here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at his record in previous matches against Ecuador.

© Imago

Lionel Messi's record against Ecuador

Played: 10
Won: 6
Drawn: 3
Lost: 1
Goals: 7
Assists: 3

From 10 previous matches against Ecuador across all tournaments, Messi coincidentally has the same number of goal contributions to boast against La Tri, whom he has scored seven times against while laying on three assists.

However, Argentina only have a modest 60% success rate in matches with Ecuador that Messi has played in, prevailing in six such affairs while being held to three draws and suffering one defeat.

Messi's first taste of action against Ecuador in a 2010 World Cup qualifier was one of those stalemates - he played the full 90 in that 1-1 draw in June 2008 - almost exactly 12 months before his sole loss, 1-0 in the same section in June 2009.

The Inter Miami forward had to wait another three years to put things right, which he did emphatically in a 2014 World Cup qualifier in June 2012, scoring one and assisting another as captain in a 4-0 triumph.

© Reuters

A few clashes between Argentina and Ecuador then came and went without Messi present due to injuries, but he returned to this fixture with a bang in November 2017, scoring all three of his side's goals in a 3-1 World Cup qualifying success.

The attacker's contributions would again prove decisive in another preliminary World Cup victory - 1-0 in October 2020 courtesy of his solitary strike - before Argentina and Ecuador locked horns in their most recent major tournament contest at the 2021 Copa America, coincidentally also in the quarter-finals.

On that occasion, Messi taught La Tri a footballing lesson with a goal and two assists in a 3-0 win en route to South American stardom, before also netting the decisive effort in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying success last September.

The ex-Barcelona man only played 34 minutes off the bench in last month's 1-0 friendly win and may be restricted to a similar cameo role here barring his fitness, but one more goal would make him the outright highest scorer in this fixture, surpassing compatriot Jose Manuel Moreno.

Read more on Argentina vs Ecuador

• Lionel Messi's injury status ahead of the quarter-finals: Predicted Argentina lineup vs. Ecuador
• Click here to read our full preview for Argentina vs Ecuador
• La Tri relying on continuity in the quarter-finals: Predicted Ecuador lineup vs. Argentina