World Cup 2026 Ultimate Guide: Ecuador

Ecuador’s mission is straightforward: Reach the knockout stages. In their history, they have managed that only once, in 2006, before they were eliminated by England in the round of 16.

Last time out in Qatar, Gustavo Alfaro’s team squandered a golden opportunity, as a defeat to Senegal on the final matchday allowed the Africans to overtake them and claim second place in the group.

A battle for second place is likely again this time around, with Germany the favourites to advance from Group E, likely leaving Ecuador to battle it out with Ivory Coast while Curacao are expected to be the group’s whipping boys.

Sebastian Beccacece, a 45-year-old from Rosario - the same city as Lionel Messi - has one of the most unusual stories among World Cup coaches. His playing career was virtually non-existent, and he only appeared in local amateur football before giving up on the dream altogether.

At 22, he turned to coaching. Soon afterward, Beccacece met Jorge Sampaoli, and so began a relationship that would shape his career. Beccacece followed Sampaoli everywhere, through Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and eventually to Argentina. Together they won the Copa America with Chile, and Beccacece later served as Sampaoli’s assistant with the Argentine national team. Rumours have long suggested he clashed with Messi during that period, although Beccacece has consistently denied it.

His only coaching experience in Europe came at Elche, and that ended in relegation, while his sole major trophy as a head coach remains the 2021 Recopa Sudamericana, won with Defensa y Justicia.

In August 2024, Ecuador appointed Beccacece to replace Felix Sanchez, and under his guidance, the team booked a direct ticket to the World Cup.

Moises Caicedo made headlines around the world in 2023 when Chelsea paid €116 million, plus up to €17m in bonuses, to sign him from Brighton, making the midfielder the then-most expensive player in Premier League history.

Despite not being a prolific goal-scorer, Caicedo has become one of the most influential midfielders in the English top-flight. He was named Chelsea’s Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season and is equally indispensable for Ecuador, with whom he has already earned 60 caps.

Alongside Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho, Caicedo provides the Ecuador squad with valuable European experience and leadership. That he will be available for his side’s opening game against Ivory Coast is therefore a huge boost after FIFA waived the suspension he should have served for being sent off towards the end of qualifying.

When Chelsea signed Kendry Paez from Independiente del Valle in 2023, he made headlines for a very different reason.The Blues had secured the signature of a 16-year-old wonderkid, two years before he would even be eligible to move to England, as FIFA regulations prevented the transfer from being completed until Paez turned 18 in 2025.

Since then, the gifted, left-footed attacking midfielder, whose greatest strengths are his technique, creativity, and dribbling ability, has experienced an up-and-down development path.

He was first loaned to Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg ahead of the 2025-26 season, before returning to South America on loan at River Plate in January. In Buenos Aires, his playing time has fluctuated, but he recently scored his first goal for the Argentine giants, curling a superb left-footed strike into the top corner in a 3-1 victory over Aldosivi.

Despite the inconsistency at club level, Beccacece has continued to show faith in Paez. Even if the teenager is not a guaranteed starter, the tournament could provide invaluable experience for one of South America’s brightest young talents - and perhaps offer the world a glimpse of a future star.