Ecuador
Group:
A
First Match:
November 21, 2022, 12 AM SGT
Stadium:
Al Bayt Stadium
With a 4th-place finish in a tough South American qualification group, the hallmark of which would have been a 6-1 drubbing of Columbia, Ecuador managed to advance to the World Cup for the fourth time.
The only time they advanced past the group stage was in 2006 in Germany, however, they were eliminated by eventual champion England in the round of 16. In the previous year's Copa America, Ecuador advanced to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by eventual winners Argentina.
Key Player: Pervis Estupinan (Villarreal)
Estupinan, a 24-year-old defender, appeared in 17 of Ecuador's 18 qualifying matches. Estupinan has been a mainstay at the core of Villarreal's defense for the previous three seasons, and he recently helped his team win the Europa League.
His leadership in the back will be crucial if Ecuador hopes to advance out of Group A, where only Argentina and Brazil allowed more goals than them during qualification.