Ecuador football team to face South Korea and play in Japan's Kirin Challenge Cup

Ecuador's national football team confirmed it will take part in the Kirin Challenge Cup, a friendly tournament in Japan scheduled for 1–5 October 2026. The four‑team event will feature Japan, Panama and New Zealand, with Ecuador opening against the hosts in Yokohama and later contesting either the final or a third‑place match depending on the result.

The Asian tour begins on 24 September when Ecuador travels to Suwon, South Korea, to meet the South Korean side at the Suwon World Cup Stadium. The friendly is intended as a preparation milestone ahead of the Copa América and the 2030 World Cup qualifying campaign, and comes while the Ecuadorian Football Federation is finalising the appointment of a new head coach after Sebastián Beccacece’s departure. The federation announced the Japan tournament on its official X account, stating: “Participaremos en un torneo amistoso en Japón🇯🇵”.