Ecuador take on the visitors Colombia in the round 4 match of South American qualification to the World Cup 2026. The match will be played on Wednesday, October 18th at Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado (Quito).
Ecuador ultimately missed the World Cup. Although it was discovered after the conclusion of the previous qualification cycle, but before the World Cup, that Castillo, a Colombian, had played for the team while being improperly naturalized, most of the blame was placed on the player himself. The national team was penalized with a deduction of 3 points, which took effect in the new cycle. As a result, after the matches in September, they simply "broke even" (suffered a minimal loss to Argentina but won 2-1 against Uruguay). The points tally went "in the black" starting from this month. They have already managed to accumulate a "+3" thanks to a hard-fought victory in Bolivia with the decisive goal scored in the 90+ minute.
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Colombia is trying to show that lessons have been learned. The "Coffee Growers" went to a couple of World Cups in a row (making it to the playoffs) and had a disappointing performance in the previous qualification cycle, finishing sixth just behind teams that either directly qualified for Qatar or, in the case of Peru, went to the intercontinental playoffs. There was an attempt to disqualify Ecuador, but it was unsuccessful. Now, they need to make a more convincing effort in the new qualification cycle. However, the team under the guidance of Nestor Lorenzo had a shaky start, with only a 1-0 home victory over Venezuela and a 0-0 draw in Chile. In October, despite a goal and an assist from James Rodriguez, they could only manage a 2-2 draw against Uruguay.
In the last qualification cycle, Ecuador accumulated 4 points against their competitors in two matches, defeating them 6-1 at home. However, in the Copa America, Colombia secured a victory over Ecuador with a single goal from Cardona. The hosts are undoubtedly strong and have the advantage of playing at home. We recommend betting on a victory for the "Tricolor."
Prediction for the match: Ecuador to win.
