Ecuador are set to appear at their fifth FIFA World Cup™ and their second in a row, having featured at Qatar 2022™. Led by a host of young stars, the Ecuadorians finished in second place in the South American qualifiers, just behind world champions and table-toppers Argentina. Their performances in the South American preliminaries were enough to book direct passage to the global showpiece in North America.
After a disappointing CONMEBOL Copa America and a subsequent change in the dugout, Argentinian coach Sebastian Beccacece helped Ecuador to bounce back in the qualifiers. Backed by a new generation of talent – with players like Moises Caicedo and Willian Pacho already shining on Europe’s biggest stages – La Tri have high hopes following their impressive showing at the last World Cup, even though they fell short of reaching the knockout phase.
Ecuador coach: Sebastian Beccacece
The Argentine took over the reins from Felix Sanchez, who had led Qatar at their home World Cup before replacing Gustavo Alfaro in the Ecuador hot seat. La Tri parted ways with Sanchez after their lacklustre displays at the Copa America and Beccacece, fresh from coaching Spanish second-tier outfit Elche, stepped in.
Beccacece’s side fell to a 1-0 defeat against Brazil in Curitiba in his opening encounter in charge, but that was the only blot in his copybook on the road to the global extravaganza. Under his stewardship, Ecuador concluded their qualifying campaign with five wins and six draws, including standout 1-0 victories against Colombia in Barranquilla and Argentina at home, conceding only once in those 11 matches to seal their berth at the World Cup with two games to spare.
The Rosario-born tactician has maintained his team’s defensive solidity while improving their build-up play – skills that will be put to the test on North American soil.
Ecuador’s World Cup 26 fixtures and group
Beccacece’s men are yet to find out their schedule for the tournament that will kick off on 11 June 2026. La Tri will discover their opposition and where they will play at the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26, which is set to take place at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC from noon local time (18:00 CET) on Friday, 5 December.
Full World Cup 26 match schedule
How Ecuador qualified for World Cup 26
Ecuador qualified automatically for FIFA’s flagship event by finishing as runners-up in the South American preliminaries. Despite starting the campaign with a three-point deduction, La Tri came away with 29 points, nine adrift of Argentina.
Beccacece stamped his mark on the team after assuming the helm, turning them into a defensive juggernaut that conceded only twice in his 12 qualifiers in the dugout. However, their attack lacked bite, finding the net just nine times over the same period. Enner Valencia was the country’s leading scorer overall in the campaign, with six goals to his name.
Ecuador’s World Cup history
Ecuador’s best World Cup
Ecuador have progressed beyond the group stage only once. At Germany 2006, they reached the Round of 16, where they kept England on the ropes for the full 90 minutes. La Tri got off to a flyer in that tournament with a notable 2-0 win against Poland, featuring goals from Carlos Tenorio and Agustín Delgado.
Tenorio and Delgado were back to their brilliant best in the second match and, aided by Ivan Kaviedes, they guided their team to a 3-0 demolition of Costa Rica. Although they suffered defeat to Germany in their group-stage curtain-closer, succumbing to a Miroslav Klose brace and a Lukas Podolski strike, they still earned second place in Group A and a daunting‑looking encounter against the Three Lions.
David Beckham’s goal on the hour ultimately dashed the hopes of Luis Fernando Suarez’s men, for whom fearless youngster Antonio Valencia had also played a pivotal role.
Ecuador’s last World Cup
Alfaro masterminded a return to World Cup action after the team missed out on Russia 2018. The Argentinian coach, who is now in charge of Paraguay, brought the best out of a golden generation filled with players of global pedigree.
La Tri had the honour of opening the tournament with a win against Qatar at Al Bayt Stadium, thanks to Enner Valencia’s double. In their second match, Ecuador went toe to toe with the Netherlands, with the powerful target man on the scoresheet once again in a 1-1 draw.
Although the South Americans showed potential and impressed overall, a 2-1 reverse in their final fixture against Senegal derailed their plans and sent them home from the tournament, ending their campaign on a sour note.
Ecuador’s first World Cup
It was not until 72 years after the first World Cup that Ecuador first graced the tournament: they finished the South American qualifiers for Korea/Japan 2002 in second place, ahead of Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with only Marcelo Bielsa’s Argentina above them.
La Tri faced a challenging World Cup campaign, being drawn against Croatia, Italy and Mexico in Group G. In their opening game, they slipped to a 2-0 loss to an Italy side inspired by Christian Vieri’s brace. In Ecuador’s second match, they took an early lead through Delgado’s towering fifth-minute header. However, Mexico overturned the deficit and snatched a win courtesy of goals from Jared Borgetti and Gerardo Torrado.
In Ecuador’s final outing, Edison Mendez’s strike secured a win over Croatia, but the three points were not enough to see them through a tightly contested group from which Mexico and Italy ultimately advanced.
Ecuador’s World Cup top scorer
Enner Valencia became his country’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with the brace he bagged in the inaugural match of the tournament against the hosts at Qatar 2022. Until that time, Delgado had previously led the scoring charts with three goals. Valencia’s goal against the Netherlands took his personal tally to six, three of which had come at Brazil 2014, and he will be looking to extend his lead in 2026.
Ecuador’s record World Cup appearance maker
Mendez is Ecuador’s appearance king at the global showpiece. The midfielder, who plied his trade at PSV Eindhoven, LDU de Quito and Atletico Mineiro amongst others, participated in three World Cups.
He made three appearances at Korea/Japan 2002, was part of the historic campaign at Germany 2006 and ended his run with a final cameo at Brazil 2014.
In his eight outings on the world stage, he scored one goal and set up a further three. Enner Valencia, currently on six appearances, could overtake him in 2026.
Ecuador’s memorable World Cup moments
The clash with Poland at Germany 2006 was a must-win showdown, with both teams’ fates resting on the outcome. Ecuador rose to the occasion, with goals from Tenorio and Delgado propelling them to a landmark victory and helping them to book their place in the Round of 16.
A convincing win against Costa Rica sealed their spot in the knockout phase, where they pushed England all the way in a narrow 1-0 defeat that was ultimately decided by Beckham’s sweetly struck free kick.
Ecuador’s biggest World Cup win
At Germany 2006, Ecuador kept the good times rolling with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Costa Rica. Some six days after their opening win against Poland, Suarez’s team backed up that success by putting Los Ticos to the sword to clinch qualification with time in hand.
It was a statement performance, once again relying on the same winning formula: Tenorio and Delgado scored the first two goals before Kaviedes rounded off the triumph. This historic milestone saw Ecuador qualify for the World Cup Round of 16 for the first – and, so far, only – time.
