Ecuador recorded their second successive goalless draw as they were held by Venezuela on Thursday. As a result of that stalemate, Félix Sánchez’s side remain sixth in the CONMEBOL standings ahead of this latest matchday (W2, D2, L1), occupying the last automatic qualification spot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (WC) even despite been deducted three points following the falsification of right-back Byron Castillo’s birth documents.
La Tri will now be desperate to get back to winning ways and secure back-to-back WC qualifying victories against Chile for the first time ever. In fact, Ecuador have kept clean sheets in both of their most recent H2H outings, something they’ll seek to build on in pursuit of reaching successive WC tournament finals for just the second time in their history.
Chile sit two places behind Ecuador, but only trail their upcoming opponents on goal difference ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Quito. After a disappointing goalless draw of their own against Paraguay, manager Eduardo Berizzo has resigned though, marking the end to a reign that saw him achieve just four victories in 16 games (D6, L6). That inconsistency is reflected in their qualifying campaign to date (W1, D2, L2) with each match producing a different outcome to the one that preceded it.
The turmoil caused by results and Berizzo stepping down no doubt has fans of La Roja nervously wondering whether they might miss out on qualifying for a third consecutive World Cup for the first time in their history. That said, the current CONMEBOL cycle is less than a third of the way through and Chile should be buoyed by the superiority they’ve enjoyed against Ecuador, winning 30 of their previous meetings and losing only 13.
Players to watch: Forward Kevin Rodríguez scored a priceless winner for Ecuador in Bolivia last month, his team’s most recent goal. More of a creator Chile midfielder Erick Pulgar bagged an assist in two straight matches for Flamengo before joining up with the national side.
Hot stat: Chile have netted just once across their last seven away games (D2, L5).
