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🇪🇨 Ecuador /Sports

Joel Ordóñez explains the injury behind his failed Crystal Palace move

From El Comercio · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Ecuador defender Joel Ordóñez said a foot injury began after a May 17 match for Club Brugge and persisted through the 2026 World Cup.
  • He said the pain intensified during training and matches but he continued playing because representing Ecuador at the World Cup was a major personal dream.
  • The injury emerged during Crystal Palace’s pre-transfer medical checks, and the proposed move did not go ahead.

Joel Ordóñez says the injury that complicated his proposed move to Crystal Palace began with a heavy stomp on his foot, weeks before the 2026 World Cup.

The Ecuador defender said the incident occurred on May 17 during Club Brugge’s match against Union Saint-Gilloise. He initially felt only a minor discomfort and continued training and playing because Brugge were competing for the title.

These have been difficult days for me. After so many things have been said about my injury, I felt it was best to tell myself what happened.

— Joel OrdóñezOrdóñez explained why he published a letter about his injury and failed transfer.

“Everything started on May 17, in the match against Union Saint-Gilloise. I received a heavy stomp on my foot and from that moment began to feel a slight discomfort. It was not pain that stopped me from playing, and we were fighting to become champions with Brugge, so I continued training and playing normally,” Ordóñez wrote in a letter published on social media.

After the Belgian season ended, he went directly to Ecuador’s camp to prepare for the World Cup. The discomfort remained, but he said he did not believe it could be serious. As training grew more intense and the tournament matches began, the pain worsened.

Everything started on May 17, in the match against Union Saint-Gilloise. I received a heavy stomp on my foot and from that moment began to feel a slight discomfort.

— Joel OrdóñezHe described when and how the injury began.

“Playing in a World Cup with Ecuador had always been one of the biggest dreams of my life. As training sessions and matches went on, the pain began to increase. I tried to endure it and continue, afraid that the discomfort could put my participation in the World Cup at risk. Many times I tried to live with the pain and convince myself that I could handle it,” he said.

Ordóñez said the problem therefore did not originate during the World Cup, but during the closing weeks of his Club Brugge season. After the tournament, Crystal Palace advanced negotiations with Brugge, but the injury appeared during the medical examination and the transfer was not completed.

Playing in a World Cup with Ecuador had always been one of the biggest dreams of my life.

— Joel OrdóñezHe explained why he continued playing despite increasing pain.
About this summary

Originally published by El Comercio in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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