Maradona37
Well-known member
What's going on over there? They're producing a lot of good players/talents in recent years.
Barca Transfers and Rumors
- Thread starter FCBfan22
- Start date
soul24rage
Senior Member
They have really good academies, the most notable is Independiente del Valle that produced the likes of Caicedo, Hincapie, Pacho and Paez.
They are probably the 2nd strongest South American team right now behind Argentina. The Conmebol WCQ shows it (Ecuador started the qualifiers with -3 points.
Maradona37
Well-known member
Yeah I know of the success of their national team, just wondering why Ecuador in particular are experiencing a good moment and doing so well with youth development. I seen Messi983 mention Independiente del Valle above too.
What are they doing right that other countries in South America are not? Obviously there's always talent, but for example Chile's talent has dried up. Are Ecuador investing more in football these days? Or is it just one of these cycles where some countries have a golden generation?
To be fair they have been on an upward trajectory this entire century, but surely this is their best ever team.
Messi983
Senior Member
With a population of over 18 million, Ecuador has always been a soccer-obsessed country. Legends like Álex Aguinaga, Antonio Valencia, Alberto Spencer, and Enner Valencia are national icons. In recent years, however, the nation has taken crucial steps to modernize its football structure. Once weighed down by poor planning and amateurism, clubs like LDU Quito, Independiente del Valle, and Barcelona SC now represent a new era marked by strong, professional sporting projects.
Ecuador’s love for soccer wasn’t always matched by results. For years, most clubs operated with no long-term vision, investing little in youth development or coaching. The football scene was also highly regionalized. Guayaquil and Quito worked in isolation, without a united approach to player development.
That began to shift in the 2000s. With World Cup appearances and clubs like Independiente del Valle embracing a more modern philosophy, Ecuador started to change. Challenges remain, including tight budgets, limited infrastructure, and the pressure to sell young players early, but the progress is clear. Teams like IDV and LDU have broken through to win continental titles, showing what’s possible.
urbanpitch.com
They are also improving in women's football
www.theguardian.com
“Looking at what’s happening in Ecuador, we’re witnessing extraordinary change,” Moreira says. “Clubs are now implementing policies to recruit and develop girls at a much younger age. Over the years, this transformation has become more and more evident.”
For Moreira, developing youth football in Ecuador is essential when it comes to ensuring future success – and progress is already visible. In 2024 the Ecuador Under-17 team reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup. In the group stage, they beat the Dominican Republic and New Zealand, only losing to Nigeria. Reaching the quarter-finals was a historic result, even though they lost that game 5-0 to Spain. “Many players from that team are already part of the senior national squad, so in a way, we understand that everything starts at grassroots level,” she says.
Ecuador’s love for soccer wasn’t always matched by results. For years, most clubs operated with no long-term vision, investing little in youth development or coaching. The football scene was also highly regionalized. Guayaquil and Quito worked in isolation, without a united approach to player development.
That began to shift in the 2000s. With World Cup appearances and clubs like Independiente del Valle embracing a more modern philosophy, Ecuador started to change. Challenges remain, including tight budgets, limited infrastructure, and the pressure to sell young players early, but the progress is clear. Teams like IDV and LDU have broken through to win continental titles, showing what’s possible.
Ecuador Is Looking Like a Major Dark Horse for 2026 - Urban Pitch
Ecuador is home to a wave of young talent that’s catching the attention of top clubs around the world. Slowly but surely, they've entered the conversation as a team to watch heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
urbanpitch.com
They are also improving in women's football
Moving the Goalposts | ‘We’re witnessing extraordinary change’: Ecuador get ready for Copa América Femenina
Captain Gigi Moreira talks about women’s football development in her country as well as working with her sister to produce the next generation of players
www.theguardian.com
“Looking at what’s happening in Ecuador, we’re witnessing extraordinary change,” Moreira says. “Clubs are now implementing policies to recruit and develop girls at a much younger age. Over the years, this transformation has become more and more evident.”
For Moreira, developing youth football in Ecuador is essential when it comes to ensuring future success – and progress is already visible. In 2024 the Ecuador Under-17 team reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup. In the group stage, they beat the Dominican Republic and New Zealand, only losing to Nigeria. Reaching the quarter-finals was a historic result, even though they lost that game 5-0 to Spain. “Many players from that team are already part of the senior national squad, so in a way, we understand that everything starts at grassroots level,” she says.
Good question. I'm not going to research it. But it must be the coaching and methodology.
Then physically if you compare the Ecuadorians to say Chilenos or Bolivians, they have a pool of better genetic lineages who take up football.
Then competing continentally with Argentinian and, more importantly, Brazilian clubs helps immensely too.
Closer comparison would be Colombia.
For example you have Uruguay who compete despite their modest population, but with their small size and apart from a few extreme individual talents, built their sides as hardplaying underdogs to compete with Argentina/Brazil.
To be fair they won the recent U20 World Cup, but not through trying to bring through highly technical or physical impressive talents.
soul24rage
Senior Member
Ecuador always had talent, they have good physical traits and they have passion, they just need a good platform with great coaching and strcuture to develop those skills and a place like Independiente provides that.
Maradona37
Well-known member
Thanks for all the info lads - I will post something worthy in response later when I have more time/more inclined to put a bit of effort in.
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
Anyone follows OGC Nice?
They have 2 young players in the positions we need the most.
Jérémy Jacquet, CB, quick and knows how to play with the ball, long legs, 1.9m, 20 years of age.
Arsenal was interested in him but the deal didn't go through, he returned from loan and is cementing himself as a starter.
And Mohamed Kader Meïté, a CF who is 17 (18 next month) who is 1.92m, and fairly well developed physically. His profile reminds me a bit with Lukaku, as he is too strong and big for opponents and good with headers, but not a guy that will dribble past opponents, in highlights, he seems very comfortable playing with his back to the goal, a very underrated trait, which earns him comparison with Benzema, in that he can score or create goals through assists or drawing opponents.
With the market for CF, we should keep an eye on him.
They have 2 young players in the positions we need the most.
Jérémy Jacquet, CB, quick and knows how to play with the ball, long legs, 1.9m, 20 years of age.
Arsenal was interested in him but the deal didn't go through, he returned from loan and is cementing himself as a starter.
And Mohamed Kader Meïté, a CF who is 17 (18 next month) who is 1.92m, and fairly well developed physically. His profile reminds me a bit with Lukaku, as he is too strong and big for opponents and good with headers, but not a guy that will dribble past opponents, in highlights, he seems very comfortable playing with his back to the goal, a very underrated trait, which earns him comparison with Benzema, in that he can score or create goals through assists or drawing opponents.
With the market for CF, we should keep an eye on him.
Maradona37
Well-known member
Interesting comments on Ecuador from @Messi983, @Porque and @soul24rage (which I recently realised is soul to forage, not soul 24 rage).
It seems like it's been heavy investment accounting for a lot of it, with girls game particularly reaping some benefits.
To take what Porque said - that is interesting. Are Ecuadorians naturally physically superior to Bolivians and Chileans? I didn't know that. And if they are, why is that? I know South America is quite culturally diverse but I assume they'd have some crossover in phenotype and shared genetics. Not like they're a completely different culture. How do they have a 'better pool of genetic lineages'?
Good point about them playing against Brazilian and Argentine club teams and that helps them too, but surely that applies to the rest of South America. Stylistically, they do seem similar to James' Colombia or Colombia of the 90s - strong, technically gifted, exciting to watch. As you note, it's different to modern Uruguay (and even past Uruguay after 1940s) really playing up their underdog status, and being a team full of fighters and hardmen and hard tacklers, tenacity, with some technical ability and magical players sprinkled in. Ecuador have athleticism in abundance but seem to play quite good football, too.
I know soul rates them a lot. He did say they're an outsider for the World Cup. I cannot see that happening, but that's because the World Cup is really never won by a non-superpower. The usual suspects always come out on top - Croatia maybe the closest non superpower country that nearly did it in recent times. They're a bit like Ecuador in that they're a smaller football nation but came up with a great golden generation (maybe Croatia's second golden generation after the one when they were formed in the 90s) and it took them very far. Ecuador have a significantly bigger population and more players to choose from. I do agree they're the second best team in South America right now, and better than Brazil. The big question is mentality in the World Cup next year - can they beat traditionally bigger and more successful football nations.
With the players they're bringing through (though the World Cup might come too early for some) and it being held in the Americas, the tournament might be their best chance yet to get as far as they can.
It seems like it's been heavy investment accounting for a lot of it, with girls game particularly reaping some benefits.
To take what Porque said - that is interesting. Are Ecuadorians naturally physically superior to Bolivians and Chileans? I didn't know that. And if they are, why is that? I know South America is quite culturally diverse but I assume they'd have some crossover in phenotype and shared genetics. Not like they're a completely different culture. How do they have a 'better pool of genetic lineages'?
Good point about them playing against Brazilian and Argentine club teams and that helps them too, but surely that applies to the rest of South America. Stylistically, they do seem similar to James' Colombia or Colombia of the 90s - strong, technically gifted, exciting to watch. As you note, it's different to modern Uruguay (and even past Uruguay after 1940s) really playing up their underdog status, and being a team full of fighters and hardmen and hard tacklers, tenacity, with some technical ability and magical players sprinkled in. Ecuador have athleticism in abundance but seem to play quite good football, too.
I know soul rates them a lot. He did say they're an outsider for the World Cup. I cannot see that happening, but that's because the World Cup is really never won by a non-superpower. The usual suspects always come out on top - Croatia maybe the closest non superpower country that nearly did it in recent times. They're a bit like Ecuador in that they're a smaller football nation but came up with a great golden generation (maybe Croatia's second golden generation after the one when they were formed in the 90s) and it took them very far. Ecuador have a significantly bigger population and more players to choose from. I do agree they're the second best team in South America right now, and better than Brazil. The big question is mentality in the World Cup next year - can they beat traditionally bigger and more successful football nations.
With the players they're bringing through (though the World Cup might come too early for some) and it being held in the Americas, the tournament might be their best chance yet to get as far as they can.
Last edited:
@Maradona37
It's mainly higher % afro slave descendents. Ecuador has 1.5m-2m.
Chile and Bolivia, sub 20-30k.
Colombia 5m ish and obviously Brazil way way higher.
So physical advantages football being the number 1 sport, advance in long term methodologies, etc. a cliche as old as Gael Clichy.
It's mainly higher % afro slave descendents. Ecuador has 1.5m-2m.
Chile and Bolivia, sub 20-30k.
Colombia 5m ish and obviously Brazil way way higher.
So physical advantages football being the number 1 sport, advance in long term methodologies, etc. a cliche as old as Gael Clichy.
Maradona37
Well-known member
Ahhh good point, I overlooked the slave descendant aspect. That obviously makes sense then as lots of African people mixed into their lineage. As you say, allied to hunger and culture for the game, investment and good coaching.
Hahaha good stuff, Gale Clichy.
Home of Barca Fans
