Mexico vs Ecuador: The story of the Argentine who plays as a starter for Ecuador

Born in Rosario, the hometown of Lionel Messi, Hernan Galindez once faced off against "La Pulga" when they were both boys. However, at the national team level, this 39-year-old goalkeeper has only ever worn Ecuador's jersey. He was nearly in tears when recalling the reason he decided to become a naturalized Ecuadorian.

"On April 14, 2016, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the coastal region—the worst disaster in a century. That day I was playing football in Quito," he said with a choked voice. "I went to the supermarket to buy rice, pasta, and water to send to the affected areas, but the shelves were empty. I asked and was told everyone had already bought everything to take for relief. Just retelling this makes me emotional."

Galindez emphasized: "That very day, I decided I wanted to become Ecuadorian. So anyone who says Galindez naturalized just to play for the national team completely misunderstands. Even in Argentina, few truly understand my love for Ecuador."

According to Galindez, he once hit rock bottom when Rosario Central was relegated when he was 22. "That was an extremely dark time psychologically. No one knows what I went through when I locked myself in my apartment."

His only escape was to play in Ecuador's second division. He quietly accumulated season after season, like thousands of other unknown footballers in the world of soccer. Then, at age 34, his life suddenly took a new direction.

At that time, coach Gustavo Alfaro called Galindez up to the Ecuadorian national team but also told him frankly that he would likely not get to play. However, if he accepted, he would have a chance to participate in the 2022 World Cup. Galindez agreed.

In early 2022, he signed the biggest contract of his career with Universidad de Chile. But just then, Chile filed a complaint with FIFA, demanding that Ecuador be disqualified from the Qatar World Cup over allegations of using an ineligible player. Galindez playing in Chile put him and his family under immense pressure, with relatives even being insulted in public.

In the end, he decided to return to Ecuador and join Aucas. Chile's complaint failed. Galindez arrived in Doha in November 2022. Coach Alfaro himself gave him the starting spot for the entire World Cup campaign. The key? "A bit of luck," he said, but more importantly, he never gave up.

By the 2026 World Cup, Galindez played a standout role, helping Ecuador advance past the group stage. He made three saves against Ivory Coast, repeated that number in the match against Curacao, and made two stops to secure a 2-1 victory over Germany.

The current coach of Ecuador is also Argentine, also born in Rosario: Sebastian Beccacece. He is known for his inspiring speeches. "Once in the team meeting, he said our goal is to become world champions. If you want something to happen, you must first dare to dream, no matter how crazy it sounds," Galindez recalled.

Winning the title is impossible, but Ecuador wants to go as far as possible in North America. To achieve that, Galindez and his teammates must first stop the co-host Mexico.