Pre-World Cup 2026 friendlies: Ecuador-Guatemala, likely lineups

The last pre-World Cup engagement for Ecuador, one of the six South American national teams that have qualified for the World Cup that will begin in the coming week. The Tricolor, second in the Conmebol group behind only Argentina and ahead (despite three penalty points) of the likes of Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay, will face off at 10 p.m. Italian time against Guatemala at Scotts Miracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio, a stadium that will not, however, directly experience any 2026 World Cup matches.

Guided on the bench by Argentina’s Sebastian Beccacece, Ecuador has earned eight wins and as many draws in the South American qualifying round, losing just two games. The strength in the team is in a granitic defense: only five goals conceded in 18 matches, which has made a decidedly unprolific attack (just 14 goals scored) nonetheless enough to put almost all other South American teams behind them. The star is Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, but also watch out for PSG’s Pacho and Arsenal’s Hincapié.

On the other hand, Guatemala is testing itself again after missing out on access to the World Cup: in Group A of the third phase, Azul y Blanco had two wins, two draws and two losses, outplayed by Panama (first and qualified directly for the World Cup) and Suriname (qualified for the interzone playoffs, in which it was defeated by Bolivia). The Guatemalans have never gone to the World Cup: expectations were high for this year, complicit with the semifinal reached in the Gold Cup in 2025, but the litmus test was not passed.

Probable lineups

ECUADOR (4-4-2): Galindez; Franco, Ordoñez, Pacho, Hincapié; Preciado, Caicedo, Vite, Angulo; Plata, Valencia. Ct Beccacece.

GUATEMALA (3-4-3): Moran; Hernandez, Ardon, Pinto; Yanes, Franco, Rosales, Morales; Santis, Mendez, Muñoz. Ct Tena.