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FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualified Team: Ecuador
Updated: Sep 6, 2022
National Team
Ecuador, nicknamed La Tri, made three appearances at the World Cup in their history, their last one being at Brazil 2014. Their best showing was at Germany 2006 when they impressively reached the last 16. According to the FIFA rankings, Ecuador is currently ranked as the 12th best team in the world.
Controversy
Some good news for the Ecuadorian team is that despite an official complaint against them that they fielded an ineligible player, they will be allowed to play at the 2022 World Cup after the complaint was rejected. There was a real fear that if found guilty by the FIFA disciplinary committee, the team might have been disqualified altogether from the tournament.
Top Players
Antonio Valencia is arguably Ecuador’s most distinguished player. During his career he won two Premier League titles with Manchester United as well as the UEFA Cup in 2017. Valencia played for Ecuador over 90 times scoring 11 goals in total.
Thirty-two-year-old golden boot winner Enner Valencia (no relation to Antonio) will be Ecuador’s biggest and brightest hope at Qatar 2022 having scored 35 goals in 70 games for his country. He currently plays for the Turkish club Fenerbahçe. The national team is managed by 59-year-old Gustavo Julio Alfaro, a former Argentine footballer.
Touring Ecuador
Whilst Spanish is the national language of Ecuador, the indigenous tribes speak Quichua. Ecuador is a highly popular tourist destination and for good reason. It pretty much has it all from stunning beaches to wonderful architecture. The best season to visit Ecuador is usually the dry season from June to September where you will catch the spectacular views of the glorious mountains and volcanoes.
Best Sites to Visit
If you like heights, visit Quito which is the highest capital city in the world rising 2800 meters above sea level.
There’s a wonderful Old Town to explore with gorgeous parks and bustling markets. You can’t leave Quito without taking the cable car up to the Pichincha volcano.
Guayaquil sits on the Guayas River and is the largest city in Ecuador.
This city never sleeps with the hustle and bustle of city life going on at all hours of the night and day.
Guayaquil is a city of stark contrasts from skyscrapers to the amazing Palacio Municipal. Don’t forget to catch the colonial architecture in the Parque Historico.
For the Foodies
If you are looking for a hangover dish you should look no further than Encebollado,
a soup made with fresh tuna, cassava and spices. Few spoons of this soup and you’ll be feeling better in no time!
For those of you feeling adventurous have a taste of Guatita, a hearty, thick stew made with tripe and potatoes and you’ll wonder how you’ve been missing out all these years.
After all of that it’s time to wash the food down with Colada Morada. This is drink is made from water, black corn flour, spices, fruits and cane sugar
From the deep-rooted love for football, the stunning sites, and the delicious flavours, this qualified national team is bringing a lot to the World Cup stage.
How will Ecuador do at the World Cup Qatar 2022?
