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Ecuador national football team

The Ecuador national football team has reached three world cup finals. The first in 2002, where they finished second in qualifying. Argentina topped the standings and eventual world cup winners Brazil were a point behind Ecuador in third.

The Ecuador national football team have the unhappy record, with Venezuela, of being the only teams from South America to have never won the Copa America. Their best performance in the competition is a relatively poor fourth in 1959 and 1993. On both occasions the tournament was held on home soil.

Football is the most popular sport in Ecuador. There is a healthy league structure within the country, with clubs competing in competitions such as the Copa Libertadores. Other sports popular within Ecuador are tennis, basketball, volleyball, rugby union and even bullfighting.

World cup history

2002
2006
2014
2018
2002

Japan and South Korea

The world cup in 2002 was jointly hosted by Korea and Japan. It was the first time the world cup had visited the continent of Asia. As mentioned it was fellow South American rivals Brazil who eventually won the competition despite qualifying behind Ecuador. This tournament represented the first time the Ecuador national football team had ever made it to a world cup finals stage. Although actually making it there was reward enough I am sure, the team did not impress on the biggest stage of all. They lost both of their opening two group games to Italy and Mexico and so were swiftly eliminated. They did manage a consolation in the final game as they beat Croatia 1-0, and so did not leave empty handed.

2006

Germany

The Ecuador national football team did not have to wait long before they returned to the world cup. This time it was held in Germany. European soil brought around an all-European final as Italy defeated France on penalties after a 1-1 draw. As for Ecuador things went far better for them this time around. After two wins from their opening two games they were safely through to the next stage before facing and losing to hosts Germany. In the last sixteen the team faced England and made it hard for their more prestigious opponents. They eventually lost 1-0 as a result of a David Beckham free-kick and were eliminated.

2014

Brazil

After missing out in 2010 the Ecuador national football team would have been keen to make an impact in Brazil 2014. The tournament was won by Germany who became the first European team to win a South American world cup. In their first game against Switzerland a last minute goal left them with a 2-1 defeat. A win in the second game against Honduras gave them hope, but even a draw against group winners France wasn’t enough to see them through.

2018

Russia

Yet to qualify

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