Preview of the FIFA World Cup Ecuador 2026: El Tri is strong in defense and ready to qualify outside the group

Ecuador will come into the World Cup as big favorites to reach the next round. While the team’s attack is not as threatening as Argentina or Colombia – the South American side with the most goals in 2026 World Cup qualifiers – the defense has been clinical.

The partnership between Willian Pacho and Piero Hincapie, complemented by the experience of Moises Caicedo, has given the team a perfect triumvirate to fend off counter-attacks from the opponents. In the UEFA Champions League this season, Caicedo had the most tackles (41), while Pacho had the most ball recoveries (105).

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Unsurprisingly, El Tri conceded just five goals in 18 matches in their qualifying campaign, the fewest among CONMEBOL teams, and finished second in the qualifiers, just behind Argentina, losing only to the world champions and Brazil in the entire campaign.

And if Ecuador’s pragmatism becomes too predictable, add the flavor of youngster Kendry Paez’s attacks and the veteran runs of Enner Valencia to complete a balanced squad. Paez, who became the youngest goalscorer in the Ecuadorian top flight at the age of 15, is hoping to turn heads at the World Cup as one of the most sought-after prodigies in the world.

Players to watch out for: Willian Pacho

Alex Ferguson once said: ‘Attack wins games, defense wins titles’. It’s no surprise that when Paris Saint-Germain won back-to-back Champions League titles, Pacho was one of the key players at the back. The World Cup has rarely, as in 2006, elevated defenders to the status of legends, and Pacho makes a strong case for Ecuador in that regard.

Manager: Sebastian Beccacece

Assistant managers have often had a great career as a head coach. Just ask Carlo Ancelotti, who assisted Arrigo Sacchi at the 1994 World Cup, or Hansi Flick, who shared the dugout with Joachim Low during the 2014 edition of the quadrennial tournament.

Sebastián Beccacece, Jorge Sampaoli’s assistant at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, hopes to follow a similar path and take charge of a national team at the tournaments for the first time. The 45-year-old has been in charge of Ecuador since 2024 and led an impressive qualifying campaign. And in Mexico, Canada and the US he will look to extend the purple game to inspire the team past the group stage for the first time since 2006.

TEAM

• Goalkeepers: Hernan Galindez, Gonzalo Valle, Moises Ramirez

• Defenders: Piero Hincapié, Willian Pacho, Pervis Estupiñán, Angelo Preciado, Joel Ordóñez, Félix Torres, Jackson Porozo, Yaimar Medina

• Midfielders: Moses Caicedo, Alan Franco, Gonzalo Plata, Kendry Paez, Pedro Vite, Jordy Alcivar, Denil Castillo, John Yeboah, Nilson Angulo, Alan Minda

• Forwards: Enner Valencia, Kevin Rodriguez, Jordy Caicedo, Anthony Valencia, Jeremy Arevalo

Published on June 7, 2026