QUITO, Ecuador.- The national teams of Ecuador and Colombia settled for a goalless draw on Tuesday, each earning a point that allowed them to maintain their respective positive streaks in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The match was a tightly contested affair, with an initial phase where the Ecuadorian side hit the post twice, and in the second half, the Colombian team missed a penalty, and a goal was disallowed for offside by VAR.

The draw allowed Ecuador to finish the fourth round of the qualifiers with 4 points, having started with -3 due to a sanction related to the Byron Castillo case, while Colombia remains unbeaten with 6 points, having won once and drawn three times.

The game began at a frenetic pace, with both teams showcasing their physical prowess. The home side initially had the better chances. First, Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo nearly surprised goalkeeper Álvaro Montero, who was filling in for the suspended Camilo Vargas, with a free kick. Then, striker Kevin Rodríguez, one of the new faces in Ecuador's starting lineup, hit the post with a well-placed shot from outside the box.

Colombia then took more initiative, unsettling the Ecuadorians with a long-distance missile from Jhon Arias that Ecuadorian goalkeeper Moisés Ramírez deflected for a corner. However, the biggest scare was a goal disallowed for offside against Luis Díaz.

The Liverpool winger tormented the Ecuadorian defense throughout the match with his runs down the left flank, especially when combining with James Rodríguez. Had Rodríguez spotted his run a split second earlier, Colombia might have led at halftime.

After the break, the 'Tri' (Ecuador) continued struggling to contain Díaz, who twisted and turned through the defense to provide a sublime pass to Arias in the box, resulting in a penalty. The Liverpool player took the shot, but Ramírez made an extraordinary save.

Soon after, from a corner kick, defender Carlos Cuesta scored by pouncing on a loose ball in the box. Still, Argentine referee Facundo Tello disallowed the goal for offside after reviewing the play on VAR.

In the final minutes, both teams seemed content with a point after a constant back-and-forth without either side finding the net.

Match details:

Ecuador: Moisés Ramírez; Félix Torres, Piero Hincapié, William Pacho; Ángelo Preciado (subbed off 86', José Hurtado), Moisés Caicedo, Carlos Gruezo, Kendry Páez (subbed off 74', Ángel Mena), Jhoanner Chávez; Kevin Rodríguez (subbed off 74', Jhojan Julio) and Énner Valencia (subbed off 89', Jordy Caicedo).

Colombia: Álvaro Montero; Carlos Cuesta, Yerson Mosquera (subbed off 86', Willer Ditta), Davinson Sánchez, Deiver Machado (subbed off 89', Wilmar Barrios); Mateus Uribe (subbed off 75', Richard Ríos), Kevin Castaño, Jhon Arias; James Rodríguez, Rafael Santos Borré (subbed off 75', Jhon Jáder Durán) and Luis Díaz.

Referee: Argentine Facundo Tello gave yellow cards to Mosquera, Sánchez, Arias, Hincapié, Gruezo, and Cuesta.

Notes: The fourth-round match of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup was played at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium in Quito, with an attendance of about 40,000 spectators.