Ecuador – World Cup Profile
A closer look at Ecuador ahead of Qatar 2022
Road to Qatar 2022
Ecuador's road to a fourth World Cup was fought with legal issues, which have only just been settled by CAS. Having finished fourth in qualification, and sealing an automatic place at Qatar, questions began to arise on the eligibility of defender Byron Castillo.
Fellow qualifiers Chile and Peru claimed Castillo was born in Colombia, not Ecuador, and therefore should not have been allowed to play. Chile had launched the initial accusation, Fifa’s disciplinary committee cleared Ecuador only for Peru to join Chile in appealing the verdict.
Finally, on September 16, Fifa’s appeal committee ruled that Castillo was of "Ecuadorian nationality” and therefore eligible to represent the country. However, despite the lengthy legal dispute he has since been dropped from the squad.
History at the World Cup
2002 - Group Stage
2006 - Round of 16
2014 - Group Stage
Player to Watch
Enner Valencia is Ecuador's captain and all-time top scorer with 35 goals. He is also a veteran of previous major tournaments, notably scoring all three of his country's goals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and appearing at four different editions of the Copa America. 'Superman' initially made his name at Emelec but later spent three years in the Premier League, first with West Ham United and then at Everton. After a spell in Mexico, he returned to Europe in 2020 to play for Fenerbahce. By the end of October, he was the top scorer in this season's Turkish Super Lig, with 11 goals in 10 games.
Group fixtures
November 20: Qatar v Ecuador
November 25: Netherlands v Ecuador
November 29: Ecuador v Senegal
