Why Ecuador could be sleeper team of the 2026 World Cup - ESPN

Back at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, Republic of Ireland coach Jack Charlton hit upon a revelation. In a World Cup where many third-place teams in their groups advanced to the knockout phase, it was possible to lift the trophy without winning a single game in regulation time.

A series of draws and penalty shootout wins would be enough. And what applies to a 24-team tournament also applies to one with 48. This is one of the reasons that many are looking at Ecuador as a potential sleeper this summer.

Ecuador go into Sunday's World Cup opener against the Ivory Coast on a 19-game unbeaten run; only eight of those matches were victories, and three of them came recently in warmup friendlies against relatively weak opposition.

But what really stands out is the quality of their defensive record. And here, six goals conceded in 19 games becomes even better when the friendlies are removed. Some might argue that South America has a disproportionate amount of places (six out of 10 spots and a seventh going to the intercontinental playoff) in the World Cup, but there is no doubt that the CONMEBOL qualification process is highly competitive, with scarcely an easy game to be found. And in the last 11 rounds of qualifying, Ecuador staggeringly conceded just a solitary goal.

The defensive strength was there for all to see in the final of the UEFA Champions League, with Willian Pacho starring for Paris Saint-Germain and Piero Hincapié in the colors of Arsenal. Add young Joel Ordóñez of Club Brugge, and Ecuador can count on three quick, strong and classy center backs who can be shuffled around to fit a back three or a four.

These three players, such as Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo and so many of the Ecuador squad, are all