In the first two dates of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Ecuador won three points out of six contested. They lost 1-0 away to Argentina, and in Quito they beat Uruguay 2-1.
And although the national team won against Charrú, the conquered units had to be “paid” by at least the three with which the competition started.
In addition to the fine, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS, which stands for French) also fined the national team over Chile’s appeal regarding alleged irregularities in Byron Castillo’s citizenship.
On this topic, Antonio Valencia, a former national team midfielder, believes that the consequences could have been more serious because of what happened.
“I think we got it easily, because the punishment could have been stronger. We can get three points back; But, as you say, you have to do things right. “The players must have proper papers in order for Ecuadorian football to continue to grow,” he said.
“Not only in this we have to do things well, but everywhere,” added the former Manchester United midfielder in England in an interview with Ecuavisa.
Regarding the duels against Albiceleste and Charrúas, Valencia assessed that Félix Sánchez’s team had good games in both duels.
“Unbelievable. The first game against Argentina they played a great game; Unfortunately, they have the best in the world. Ecuador played very well, the defense was solid, and then in midfield they left everything,” he said.
“The guys went too far with Uruguay. It’s not easy to lose 1-0. People were patient, they also cheered a lot, and then we equalized at 1-1, and the players kept pushing to make it 2-1,” Valencia concluded. (D)
South American qualifiers 2026
Source: Eluniverso
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
