Ecuador gears up defensively for World Cup 2026 round‑of‑16 match against Mexico

Ecuador’s national team is focusing on a solid defensive plan ahead of its World Cup 2026 round‑of‑16 clash with Mexico on 30 June at the Estadio Azteca. Head coach Sebastián Beccacece intends to rely on centre‑backs Willian Pacho, Joel Ordóñez and Piero Hincapié to neutralise Mexico’s attacking trio of Roberto Alvarado, Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez.

Meanwhile, the Ecuadorian Football Federation has been circulating the name of former Fluminense coach Luis Zubeldía as a leading candidate to take over after the tournament. Zubeldía, a former Ecuadorian national‑team manager and current club coach in Brazil, is being considered alongside other possibilities such as Thomas Christiansen and Reinaldo Rueda, with a reported salary of about US$2.5 million per year.