The Anthem
Salve, Oh Patria
▶ Listen on YouTube ↗“¡Salve, oh Patria, mil veces! / Hail, oh Homeland, a thousand times!”
Its grand, lengthy chorus makes it one of Latin America's most stirring anthems.
The Legends
Names that echo
Antonio Valencia
Winger · 2000s–10s
Manchester United's flying full-back and a long-time Ecuador captain.
Agustín Delgado
Forward · 1990s–2000s
Scored Ecuador's first-ever World Cup goal in 2002.
Álex Aguinaga
Midfielder · 1990s
The creative force who guided Ecuador to its first World Cup.
Fun Facts
Worth knowing
- 01
Quito, at 2,850m, is one of the world's highest capitals — and Ecuador's altitude advantage is legendary in qualifying.
- 02
The country is named after the Equator, which runs right through it.
- 03
Ecuador's football heartlands sit high in the Andes, where visiting teams gasp for air.
At the World Cup
The story so far
A relatively young World Cup nation that debuted in 2002 and has become a regular, powered by a fearsome home record at altitude in Quito.
Into the knockouts
Ecuador beat Poland and Costa Rica to reach the round of 16 at only its second World Cup.
Group Stage