Ecuador national football team

The Ecuador national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Ecuador) has represented Ecuador in men's international football since 1938 and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation (Federación Ecuatoriana de Fútbol). They joined FIFA in 1926 and CONMEBOL a year later.

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Ecuador women's national football team.

Ecuador
Nickname(s)La Tri (The Tri)
La Tricolor (The Tricolors)
AssociationFederación Ecuatoriana de Fútbol (FEF)
ConfederationCONMEBOL (South America)
Head coachGustavo Alfaro
CaptainEnner Valencia
Most capsIván Hurtado (168)
Top scorerAgustín Delgado
Enner Valencia (31)
Home stadiumEstadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado
FIFA codeECU
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 56 (10 December 2020)[1]
Highest10 (July 2012)
Lowest71 (November 2017)
First international
 Bolivia 1–1 Ecuador 
(Bogotá, Colombia; 8 August 1938)
Biggest win
 Ecuador 6–0 Peru 
(Quito, Ecuador; 22 June 1975)
Biggest defeat
 Argentina 12–0 Ecuador 
(Montevideo, Uruguay; 22 January 1942)
World Cup
Appearances3 (first in 2002)
Best resultRound of 16 (2006)
Copa América
Appearances28 (first in 1939)
Best resultFourth place (1959, 1993)
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2002)
Best resultGroup stage (2002)

Discarding an invitation to participate in the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup held in Uruguay, Ecuador didn't make their tournament debut until 2002. After finishing above Brazil and Uruguay in the standings, the qualifying campaign marked the emergence of several players, such as Agustín Delgado, Álex Aguinaga, Iván Hurtado, Ulises de la Cruz and Iván Kaviedes, who would set the stage for Ecuador's achievements in the next decade.[2] Having reached the Round of 16 in a memorable 2006 World Cup campaign,[3] they were expected to deliver at the 2007 Copa América but were eliminated in the group stage.[4] Along with Venezuela, they have not won the continental tournament. La Tri's best performance was fourth in 1959 and 1993, both times on home soil.

Ecuador plays the majority of their home matches at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium in Quito. It is set to be demolished in late 2020 to make way for a new, more modern venue.[5]

History

From a historical viewpoint, Ecuador have been one of the more struggling footballing nations in South America. Despite their past irregularities, however, Ecuador has risen to be a serious South American competitor in recent years.

Football was introduced to Ecuador by Juan Alfredo Wright, who had recently returned from university in England. On 23 April 1899, he and his brother Roberto founded the first Ecuadorian football team, Guayaquil Sport Club.[6][7] As the popularity of the sport grew in the country, more teams were established. On 30 May 1925, the Federación Deportiva Nacional del Ecuador was founded.[7] In 1930, FIFA sent an invitation encouraging for a men's national team to participate at the maiden World Cup. However, the then-Minister of Social Security and Sports declined the offer as they did not approve of the financial allocation.[8]

In 1938, the I Bolivarian Games were organized, with Ecuador set to take part in the football tournament. On 8 August 1938, they played their first-ever match; a 1–1 draw with Bolivia. Their following game saw the national team earn a 2–1 win against Colombia. Following a 9–1 crushing by Peru and 5–2 victory over Venezuela, Ecuador was tied for the silver medal with Bolivia. A playoff saw the Bolivians emerge triumphantly and the Ecuadorians finished the competition with the bronze medal.[9]

The Ecuadorian squad that participated at the 1942 South American Championship

After finishing fourth at the 1959 South American Championship, the team entered the World Cup qualifiers for the first time. They failed to qualify for 1962 finals after inflicted defeats by Argentina.

The 1998 World Cup qualifiers saw the format for qualifying in CONMEBOL changed to a league home-and-away system. This difference made a huge impact on Ecuador's performance as they clinched several important home wins during the campaign. In the end, they achieved a very respectable 6th-place finish, just under Peru and Chile.

Following the appointment of Hernán Darío Gómez for their 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign, Ecuador recorded a historic 1–0 win against Brazil.[10] A 5–1 win over Bolivia saw la Tricolor only needing a point to qualify for the World Cup. They faced Uruguay, and, after managing to cling onto a 1–1 draw, obtained their spot in Japan.[2]

Ecuador started their 2002 World Cup with a 2–0 loss to Italy. Agustín Delgado scored his country's first World Cup goal; he opened the scoring in a 2–1 loss to Mexico.[11] Though they finished fourth in Group G and 24th overall, Ecuador defeated Croatia, who had achieved third place in the previous tournament, and eliminated the Croats in process.

A disappointing showing at the 2004 Copa América led to the resignation of Gómez, who was replaced by Luis Fernando Suárez. He led them successfully through the latter stages of the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, finishing third to make the finals. In Germany, they were drawn into Group A with the hosts, Poland, and Costa Rica. Wins over Poland and Costa Rica earned Ecuador qualification to the knockout stages for the first time.

Michael Arroyo executing a free kick against Switzerland at the 2014 World Cup

After a dull 2014 FIFA World Cup, and an unpleasant streak of failing to advance past the group stages of the Copa América, Gustavo Quinteros was hired to help rebuild the national team. Quinteros helped Ecuador reach the quarter-finals of the Copa América Centenario[12] and started the 2018 World Cup qualifiers strong. They were setback after a loss to Uruguay and finished eighth in the standings.

Gómez was reinstalled to lead Ecuador at the 2019 Copa América. His second stint was short, as he was soon fired after a disastrous tournament, having only earned a point.[13]

Home stadium
Main article: Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa
Aerial view of the stadium in 2017

The Ecuadorian national team plays their home games at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito. Having opened in 1951, it initially had a capacity of 45,000, but was later reduced to 35,724.

The stadium has a running track, which has gone to be one of the most important in South America for events organized by the former International Association of Athletics Federations.[14]

15 gates surround the stadium, allowing for an evacuation to be completed in about 10 minutes. The venue also features an electronic scoreboard located in the northern sector. The screen, manufactured by Hungarian-based company Elektroimpex in 1985, measures 10 meters tall and 30 meters wide.[15]

In this stadium, Ecuador defeated Uruguay at the 1993 Copa América and Brazil at the 2002 World Cup qualifiers.[10] After tying with the former on 7 November 2001, Ecuador qualified for their first World Cup. Since then, Ecuador has sealed qualification to the tournament on three separate occasions.

The stadium is set to be demolished in late-2020 for a newer stadium in preparation for the 2024 Copa América.[16][5] For the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Ecuador will play at the Casa Blanca.[17]

Team image
The Ecuadorian team posing before facing Argentina in October 2017

The standard Ecuadorian uniform maintains the colors of the national flag, being typically a yellow top, blue shorts, and red socks.[18] The alternate colors of the uniform are white and blue, this being based on the flag of the Guayas Province. From 1965 to 2020, the crest featured the Andean condor, Ecuador's national bird, above a shield with the country's colors. In January 2020, the Ecuadorian Football Federation announced a rebrand of the logo; a navy blue shield with an "FEF" monogram attempting to "abstractly build a condor".[19][20]

Kit sponsorship
Kit supplier Period
Adidas 1985–1990
Puma 1991–1992
Reebok 1993–1994
Marathon 1994–present

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup
Main article: Ecuador at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1930 Did not enter Declined participation
1934
1938
1950 Withdrew Withdrew
1954 Did not enter Declined participation
1958
1962 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 3 11
1966 5 2 1 2 7 7
1970 4 0 1 3 2 8
1974 4 0 2 2 3 8
1978 4 0 1 3 1 9
1982 4 1 1 2 2 5
1986 4 0 1 3 2 8
1990 4 1 1 2 4 5
1994 8 1 3 4 7 7
1998 16 6 3 7 22 21
2002 Group stage 24th 3 1 0 2 2 4 Squad 18 9 4 5 23 20
2006 Round of 16 12th 4 2 0 2 5 4 Squad 18 8 4 6 23 19
2010 Did not qualify 18 6 5 7 22 26
2014 Group stage 17th 3 1 1 1 3 3 Squad 16 7 4 5 20 16
2018 Did not qualify 18 6 2 10 26 29
2022 To be determined In progress
2026 To be determined
Total Round of 16 3/21 10 4 1 5 10 11 — 143 47 33 63 167 199

Copa América
Main article: Ecuador at the Copa América

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place  

South American Championship / Copa América record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
1916Did not participate
1917
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1929
1935
1937
1939Fifth place5th4004418 Squad
19415th4004121 Squad
1942Seventh place7th6006431 Squad
19457th6015927 Squad
1946Withdrew
1947 Sixth place6th7034317 Squad
1949Seventh place7th7106721 Squad
19537th6024113 Squad
1955 Sixth place6th5005422 Squad
1956Withdrew
1957 Seventh place7th6015723 Squad
1959Withdrew
1959 Fourth place4th411259 Squad
1963 Sixth place6th61231418 Squad
1967 Did not qualify
1975Group stage9th4013410 Squad
19799th410347 Squad
19839th4022410 Squad
19878th201114 Squad
19897th412122 Squad
19917th411265 Squad
1993 Fourth place4th6402135 Squad
1995 Group stage9th310223 Squad
1997 Quarter-finals5th422052 Squad
1999Group stage11th300337 Squad
20019th310255 Squad
200412th3003310 Squad
200711th300336 Squad
201110th301225 Squad
201510th310246 Squad
2016 Quarter-finals8th412174 Squad
2019 Group stage11th301227 Squad
2021Qualified
2024Qualified as hosts
TotalFourth place28/46121162382129318—

Pan American Games
Pan American Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
1951Did not participate
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995Group stage9th3102610
Since 1999See Ecuador national under-23 football team
TotalGroup stage1/123102610

Results and fixtures
Main article: Ecuador national football team results (2020–present)

  Win   Draw   Loss

2020
8 October 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Argentina  1–0  Ecuador Buenos Aires, Argentina
21:30 UTC−3
Report Stadium: Estadio Alberto J. Armando
Attendance: 0
Referee: Roberto Tobar (Chile)
13 October 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Ecuador  4–2  Uruguay Quito, Ecuador
16:00 UTC−5
Report
Stadium: Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado
Attendance: 0
Referee: Wilmar Roldán (Colombia)
12 November 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Bolivia  2–3  Ecuador La Paz, Bolivia
16:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Estadio Hernando Siles
Attendance: 0
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)
17 November 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Ecuador  6–1  Colombia Quito, Ecuador
16:00 UTC−5
Report
Stadium: Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado
Attendance: 0
Referee: Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela)

2021
25 March 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Venezuela  v  Ecuador Venezuela
Report
30 March 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Ecuador  v  Chile Ecuador
Report
3 June 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Brazil  v  Ecuador Brazil
Report
8 June 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Ecuador  v  Peru Ecuador
Report
12 June 2021 Copa América Group B Colombia  v  Ecuador Bogotá, Colombia
Stadium: Estadio El Campín
17 June 2021 Copa América Group B Ecuador  v  Qatar Bogotá, Colombia
Stadium: Estadio El Campín
20 June 2021 Copa América Group B Venezuela  v  Ecuador Bogotá, Colombia
Stadium: Estadio El Campín
23 June 2021 Copa América Group B Ecuador  v  Peru Cali, Colombia
Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero
28 June 2021 Copa América Group B Ecuador  v  Brazil Bogotá, Colombia
Stadium: Estadio El Campín

Coaching staff
Position Name
Head coach Gustavo Alfaro
Physical trainer TBA

Players

Current squad

The following 29 players were called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Colombia on 12 and 17 November 2020 respectively.
Caps and goals updated as of 17 November 2020, after the match against Colombia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Alexander Domínguez (1987-06-05) 5 June 1987 56 0 Vélez Sarsfield
1GK Pedro Ortíz (1990-02-19) 19 February 1990 2 0 Emelec
1GK Hernán Galíndez (1987-03-30) 30 March 1987 0 0 Universidad Católica
2DF Robert Arboleda (1991-10-22) 22 October 1991 20 2 São Paulo
2DF Xavier Arreaga (1994-09-28) 28 September 1994 10 1 Seattle Sounders
2DF Beder Caicedo (1992-05-13) 13 May 1992 9 1 Independiente del Valle
2DF Mario Pineida (1992-07-06) 6 July 1992 9 0 Barcelona
2DF Ángelo Preciado (1998-02-18) 18 February 1998 6 0 Genk
2DF Pervis Estupiñán (1998-01-21) 21 January 1998 5 1 Villarreal
2DF Félix Torres (1997-01-11) 11 January 1997 3 0 Santos Laguna
2DF Moisés Corozo (1992-10-25) 25 October 1992 1 0 LDU Quito
2DF Erick Ferigra (1999-02-07) 7 February 1999 1 0 Torino
2DF Pedro Perlaza (1991-02-03) 3 February 1991 1 0 LDU Quito
3MF Renato Ibarra (1991-01-20) 20 January 1991 49 1 Atlas
3MF Carlos Gruezo (1995-04-12) 12 April 1995 29 1 Augsburg
3MF Ángel Mena (1988-01-21) 21 January 1988 24 6 León
3MF Jhegson Méndez (1997-04-26) 26 April 1997 16 0 Orlando City
3MF Junior Sornoza (1994-01-28) 28 January 1994 10 2 Tijuana
3MF Gonzalo Plata (2000-01-11) 11 January 2000 8 3 Sporting CP
3MF Moisés Caicedo (2001-11-02) 2 November 2001 4 1 Brighton & Hove Albion
3MF Jhojan Julio (1998-02-11) 11 February 1998 4 0 LDU Quito
3MF Joao Rojas (1997-08-26) 26 August 1997 2 0 Emelec
3MF Adolfo Muñoz (1997-12-12) 12 December 1997 1 0 LDU Quito
4FW Michael Estrada (1996-04-07) 7 April 1996 12 3 Toluca
4FW Leonardo Campana (2000-07-24) 24 July 2000 5 0 Famalicão
4FW Carlos Garcés (1990-03-01) 1 March 1990 3 0 Barcelona

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up during the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Johan Padilla (1992-08-14) 14 August 1992 3 0 Delfín v.  Argentina, 8 October 2020 COVID-19
DF Diego Palacios (1999-07-12) 12 July 1999 6 0 Los Angeles v.  Bolivia, 12 November 2020 COVID-19
DF Franklin Guerra (1992-04-12) 12 April 1992 0 0 LDU Quito v.  Argentina, 8 October 2020 PRE
MF Alan Franco (1998-08-21) 21 August 1998 8 1 Atlético Mineiro v.  Bolivia, 12 November 2020 COVID-19
MF José Cifuentes (1999-03-12) 12 March 1999 3 0 Los Angeles v.  Bolivia, 12 November 2020 COVID-19
MF Christian Noboa (1985-04-09) 9 April 1985 76 4 Sochi v.  Uruguay, 12 October 2020
MF Romario Ibarra (1994-09-24) 24 September 1994 18 3 Pachuca v.  Uruguay, 12 October 2020
MF Jordy Alcívar (1999-08-05) 5 August 1999 0 0 LDU Quito v.  Argentina, 8 October 2020 PRE
MF José Carabalí (1997-05-19) 19 May 1997 0 0 Universidad Católica v.  Argentina, 8 October 2020 PRE
FW Enner Valencia (1989-11-04) 4 November 1989 56 31 Fenerbahçe v.  Bolivia, 12 November 2020 COVID-19

INJ Withdrew from the squad due to injury.
PRE Preliminary squad / standby.
RET Retired from the national team.

Retired numbers

Following the death of Christian Benítez, the Ecuadorian Football Federation retired his jersey number 11 from the national team. According to the Federation's then-president, Luis Chiriboga, to honor Benítez the number would no longer be used by any other team player.[21] However, due to FIFA regulations the number had to be reinstated for the 2014 World Cup squad.[22]

Player records

Bold indicates player is still active with the national team.
Caps and goals updated as of 7 April 2020.[23]

Most capped players
Iván Hurtado is Ecuador's most capped player, with 168 caps.
Rank Name Career Caps Pos.
1 Iván Hurtado 1992–2014 168 DF
2 Walter Ayoví 2001–2017 121 MF
3 Édison Méndez 2000–2014 111 MF
4 Álex Aguinaga 1987–2004 109 MF
5 Ulises de la Cruz 1995–2010 101 DF
6 Luis Capurro 1985–2003 100 DF
7 Antonio Valencia 2005– 99 MF
8 Giovanny Espinoza 2000–2009 90 DF
9 José Francisco Cevallos 1994–2010 89 GK
10 Segundo Castillo 2003–2016 88 MF

Top goalscorers
Agustín Delgado (up) and Enner Valencia (down) both currently hold the record for being Ecuador's top goalscorer with 31 goals each.
Rank Player Career Goals Caps Avg/game Pos.
1 Agustin Delgado 1994–2006 31 71 0.44 FW
Enner Valencia 2012– 31 54 0.57 FW
3 Eduardo Hurtado 1992–2002 26 74 0.35 FW
4 Christian Benítez 2005–2013 24 58 0.41 FW
5 Álex Aguinaga 1987–2004 23 109 0.21 MF
6 Felipe Caicedo 2005–2017 22 68 0.32 FW
7 Édison Méndez 2000–2014 18 111 0.16 MF
8 Iván Kaviedes 1996–2012 17 57 0.3 FW
9 Raúl Avilés 1987–1993 16 55 0.29 FW
10 Ariel Graziani 1997–2000 15 34 0.44 FW

See also

References
  1. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  2. El Universo (7 November 2019). "Hace 18 años Ecuador clasificó a su primer mundial de fútbol" (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  3. The New York Times (15 June 2006). "Ecuador Breathes the Thick Air of Victory". Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  4. Raúl Chávez (6 July 2007). "Falta de puntería silencia a seleccionados ecuatorianos". Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  5. "El estadio Olímpico Atahualpa será demolido a finales del 2020 y se levantará otro estadio con mayor capacidad" (in Spanish). 13 January 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  6. "¿Cómo llegó el fútbol a Ecuador" (in Spanish). 26 April 2013. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  7. ecuafutbol.org. "HISTORIA DE LA FEDERACIÓN ECUATORIANA DE FÚTBOL". Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  8. "Ecuador en la Copa Mundo". Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  9. José Luis Pierrend, Alfonzo Cornejo. "Bolivarian Games: Soccer Tournaments". Rsssf. Rsssf.com. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  10. El Universo (15 May 2002). "Otra primera vez, Ecuador venció a Brasil" (in Spanish).
  11. El Universo (9 June 2002). "Tin Delgado, un goleador mundial..." (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  12. El Universo (16 June 2016). "Ecuador cayó 2-1 ante Estados Unidos y se despidió de la Copa América 2016" (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  13. infobae.com (31 July 2019). "A menos de un año de su presentación, Hernán Darío Gómez dejó de ser el técnico de Ecuador" (in Spanish).
  14. AFA (30 January 2017). "Conocé el Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa". Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  15. El Telégrafo (8 October 2016). "El marcador del Atahualpa también celebra las victorias de Ecuador". Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  16. El Universo (14 June 2012). "Ecuador comenzó estudios para modernizar los estadios para 2023". Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  17. Prensa Latina (19 February 2020). "Ecuador cambia sede de eliminatorias hacia Mundial de Qatar 2022". Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. "SportsLogos.Net - CONMEBOL Logos - CONMEBOL Logos - the News and History of Sports Logos and Uniforms".
  20. underconsideration.com (31 January 2020). "Flight of the Condor". Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  21. "NÚMERO 11 DE ECUADOR SIEMPRE SERÁ DE CHUCHO". Federación Ecuatoriana de Fútbol (in Spanish). ecuafutbol.org. 1 August 2013. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013.
  22. "Soccer-Ecuador to reinstate Benitez's number 11 for World Cup". reuters.com. 6 March 2014.
  23. "Ecuador - International Appearances by Player".
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