Pacho, Hincapié, and Valencia lead Ecuador's 26-man World Cup squad

Ecuador's national football team will be led by a blend of established stars and emerging talent in their quest for a historic World Cup campaign. The final 26-player roster, announced by the Ecuadorian Football Federation, includes Champions League winner Willian Pacho, Europa League finalist Piero Hincapié, and the nation's all-time leading scorer, Enner Valencia.

Under the guidance of Argentine coach Sebastián Beccacece, Ecuador aims to surpass its previous best performance of reaching the Round of 16 in 2006. The team's strength lies in its formidable defense, which conceded only five goals in 18 South American qualifying matches, making it the stingiest defense in the region. Enner Valencia, nicknamed 'Superman,' carries significant goal-scoring hopes, having netted six goals in his previous World Cup appearances.

Midfielder Moisés Caicedo, despite facing uncertainty due to a suspension, has received FIFA's approval to play from the start. Ecuador faces a challenging Group E, which also includes former champions Germany, as well as Ivory Coast and Costa Rica. Their tournament begins on June 14 against Ivory Coast, followed by matches against Costa Rica and Germany.

The squad list features a mix of players from various leagues: Hernán Galíndez and Jordy Caicedo (Huracán-ARG), Moisés Ramírez (Kifisia-GRE), Gonzalo Valle (Liga de Quito), Willian Pacho (Paris Saint Germain-FRA), Piero Hincapié (Arsenal-GBR), Pervis Estupiñán (AC Milan-ITA), Joel Ordóñez (Brujas-BEL), Félix Torres (Internacional-BRA), Jackson Porozo (Tijuana-MEX), Ángelo Preciado (Atlético Minero-BRA), Moisés Caicedo (Chelsea-GBR), Anthony Valencia (Royal Antwerp-BEL), Denil Castillo (Midtjylland-DIN), Jordy Alcívar (Independiente del Valle), Alan Franco (Atlético Mineiro-BRA), Pedro Vite (Pumas UNAM-MEX), Kendry Páez (River Plate-ARG), Alan Minda (Atlético Mineiro-BRA), Yaimar Medina (Genk-BEL), Gonzalo Plata (Flamengo-BRA), John Yeboah (Venecia-ITA), Nilson Angulo (Anderlecht-BEL), Kevin Rodríguez (Union Saint Gilloise-BEL), Jeremy Arévalo (Stuttgart-GER), and Enner Valencia (Pachuca-MEX).