Ecuador is preparing for its fourth World Cup campaign and hopes to advance over its 2006 round of 16 results.
The manager of the team, Gustavo Alfaro, has until Friday to submit his 26-man roster. He has already selected the player he feels would pose the greatest threat to the group’s favorite nations.
Enner Valencia, a former West Ham striker, will serve as captain of Ecuador’s 26-man World Cup 2022 squad.
The last to announce its team was Ecuador, which will use this strong group to advance. With victories against Argentina and Brazil, two titans of South America, Ecuador enjoyed a fantastic CONMEBOL qualifying.
They can count on seasoned leaders like Enner Valencia and Carlos Gruezo. Ecuador also have a lot of interesting young players, including Moises Caicedo and Piero Hincapie.
They will play hosts Qatar in the tournament opener before playing the Netherlands and Senegal in their remaining Group A fixture.
Ecuador Squad, Captain, and Coach
- Goalkeepers: Moises Ramirez, Alexander Dominguez, Hernan Galindez
- Defenders: Piero Hincapie, Robert Arboleda, Pervis Estupinan, Angelo Preciado, Jackson Porozo, Xavier Arreaga, Diego palacios, Felix Torres, William Pacho
- Midfielders: Carlos Gruezo, Jose Cifuentes, Jhegson Mendez, Moises Caicedo, Jeremy Sarmiento, Alan Franco, Angel Mena, Ayrton Preciado, Gonzalo Plata, Romario Ibarra.
- Forwards: Djorkaeff Reasco, Enner Valencia, Kevin Rodriguez, Michael Estrada
- Captain: Enner Valencia
- Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Ecuador Star Players
1. Moises Caicedo
Moises Caicedo has had a meteoric rise recently and is now excited to represent Ecuador in the World Cup. At just 21, the midfielder already has 25 caps before the World Cup opener against Qatar on Sunday (November 20), followed by group games against the Netherlands and Senegal.
Caicedo made his senior Ecuador national team debut on October 9, 2020, in a 1-0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification loss to Argentina. On October 13, 2020, he scored the first goal in a 4-2 home win against Uruguay at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, becoming the first player born in the twenty-first century to score in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualification.
Caicedo feels Ecuador may be a surprise package and has set an initial goal of reaching the knockout stage.
2. Enner Valencia
Enner Valencia, 33, is past his prime, but he is scoring goals at a higher rate than ever before at the club level. Ecuador’s all-time leading scorer has 13 goals in 12 matches for Fenerbahçe, who leads the Turkish Super Lig. Valencia, along with Michael Estrada, will need to be at his best to turn around his team’s goal-scoring fortunes.
He is also Ecuador’s all-time leading scorer with 35 goals, a remarkable achievement for a player who began as a winger or even a wing-back rather than a goal-scorer
Ecuador will be hoping that Valencia is in the midst of a production run and that he can carry that form into the World Cup, but he has had many ups and downs with the national team.
Ecuador is hoping for a “captain’s innings” from Valencia, their lone outfielder with World Cup experience. No one expects Valencia, nicknamed “Superman,” to save the world, but there is a more realistic hope that he can carry his club form to Qatar and boost Ecuador’s chances in the World Cup.
Ecuador World Cup 2022 Possible Lineup
- Goalkeepers: Alexander Dominguez
- Defenders: Piero Hincapie, Pervis Estupinan, Angelo Preciado, Felix Torres
- Midfielders: Jhegson Mendez, Carlos Gruezo, Moises Caicedo
- Forward: Angel Mena, Michael Estrada, Enner Valencia
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