The champion s defense failed! Otamendi s red card was suspended, Argentina s first World Cup game was forced to change the formation

Buenos Aires, on the morning of September 10, defending champion Argentina accidentally lost the defense line on his last away night to the 2026 World Cup. In the 78th minute, 35-year-old Nicholas Otamendi knocked down Enna Valencia who made a single-strike in the Candy Box Stadium, and the referee directly showed a red card - which means he will automatically suspend the game in the first round of the World Cup group stage next year.

"This is an undisputed tactical foul and an expensive empirical mistake." The commentator of the TyC Sports TV station is so qualitative in the replay. Slow motion shows that Otamendi reached out and pulled after losing his position. Before Valencia fell to the ground, he faced goalkeeper Martinez. VAR confirmed that the "DOGSO" (destroying obvious scoring opportunity) standard was valid in just 26 seconds.

Argentine Football Association confirmed immediately after the game that due to the disciplinary punishment of the 2026 South American qualifiers, Otamendi's suspension cannot pass the "reshuffle" of the European and American Super Cup (Finalissima) battle against Spain at the end of September. For Scaloni, the defense must be reorganized: the probability of the combination of Lisandro Martinez, Christian Romero and Neville Molina increased sharply, and young player Valentini also made it to the coaching staff's emergency inspection list.

"We have lost a leader, but we will not lose the system." Captain Messi hurriedly boarded the bus after leaving this sentence in the mixed interview area. Data shows that since Qatar won the championship in 2022, Otamendi's appearance rate in official games is still as high as 82%, and Argentina only conceded 0.48 goals in his starting game; and losing his five games, the average goal conceded has risen to 1.2 - although the sample is small, it is enough to warn.

In the same 0:0 draw, Ecuador also paid a heavy price: Chelsea midfielder Moises Kesédo turned two yellows and one red, and he will miss the next round of play-offs. The coaches of the two teams looked at each other and smiled bitterly after the game - "We ruined each other's Christmas plans." A joke when Scaloni shook hands with Alfaro revealed the cruelty of the last round of the South American region.

On December 5, the World Cup group draw will be held in New York. Argentina has locked in the first seed, but no matter who the opponent is, they must arrange their troops in the first game without Otamendi. The road to championship begins with the gap.