Ecuador

Ecuador are competing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in their fourth appearance at the tournament, having qualified via CONMEBOL. Their 20 June group match against World Cup debutants Curaçao in Kansas City ended 0-0, despite Ecuador registering 27 shots and an expected-goals figure of 3.05. Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room made a record 15 saves, the most by any keeper in a single World Cup match, to deny Ecuador a win. It is Ecuador's second successive game without scoring in the tournament. The group match also attracted attention earlier in the tournament as a case study in FIFA's Dynamic pricing: Category 1 ticket prices for Ecuador v Curaçao in Kansas City rose 22% from initial pricing, cited as evidence in the EU Article 102 antitrust complaint against FIFA's ticketing model.

Ecuador is a Pacific-coast South American republic of approximately 18 million people, with an economy anchored in oil exports, agriculture (particularly bananas and cacao), and remittances. Politically, it has faced persistent instability in recent years, with a state of emergency declared in 2024 following an escalation in organised-crime violence. The country elected a new government in 2025 amid continuing security pressures.

On the pitch, Ecuador's La Tri qualified comfortably through CONMEBOL but arrive at 2026 with questions about their attacking potency after failing to score in successive group fixtures. Their first World Cup appearance was in 2002, and they reached the round of 16 in 2006. The Curaçao result leaves their group-stage progression in significant doubt.