A 0-0 draw away to Chile in their last outing ended a three-game winning streak for Ecuador, but their chances of reaching a second consecutive World Cup remain strong.
There are only minor changes to Ecuador’s squad compared to the March window. The four absentees this time around are all fringe players with limited experience.
Beccacece has relied on a consistent starting eleven throughout the qualifiers, and that stability has been key to Ecuador’s strong performances.
Among the likely starters are Champions League winner Willian Pacho, veteran striker Enner Valencia—just three appearances shy of his 100th cap—and Chelsea star Moisés Caicedo, who already has 53 international appearances at just 23 years old.
Interestingly, Pacho’s club teammate at Paris Saint-Germain, Marquinhos, will line up on the opposite side, having been named in Ancelotti’s Brazil squad shortly after winning the Champions League in Munich.
Injuries and fitness issues have ruled out both Rodrygo and Neymar. And although Ancelotti has suggested his Brazil side will play "like Real Madrid," Vinícius Júnior is the only current Los Blancos player in the squad, with Éder Militão and rising star Endrick also left out.
Brazil’s Premier League presence has also thinned significantly. While more than half the March squad played in England, this time only seven Premier League-based players made the cut. Notable omissions include Joao Gomes, André, Gabriel Magalhães, Joao Pedro, and Murillo.
Expected Starting XI – Ecuador
Galindez; Ordoñez, Pacho, Hincapié, Estupiñán; Preciado, Vite, Caicedo, Franco, Plata; Valencia
Expected Starting XI – Brazil
Alisson; Vanderson, Danilo, Marquinhos, Carlos Augusto; Bruno Guimarães, Gerson; Raphinha, Cunha, Vinícius Júnior; Richarlison
