Ecuador has once again qualified via the fiercely contested CONMEBOL qualifiers. Under new manager Sebastián Beccacece, the team is keen to show that it can hold its own at world-class level. The final group match against Germany will be a real test.

Manager Sebastián Beccacece has named three goalkeepers for La Tri: Hernán Galíndez, Moisés Ramírez and Gonzalo Valle. Ecuador will face Germany, Curaçao and the Ivory Coast in Group E – and boast one of the strongest defences in the entire South American qualifying campaign: Just five goals conceded in 18 qualifying matches, the fewest of any CONMEBOL team. The trio of goalkeepers represents three generations – from the 39-year-old veteran to the Copa Sudamericana winner and the player in the Greek top flight.

Galíndez is 39 years old – and has a remarkably late start to his international career with Ecuador. He has spent his entire career in South America: Rosario Central, Quilmes, then 13 years at Universidad Católica in Chile, one season at Universidad de Chile and two at Aucas in Ecuador, before moving to CA Huracán in Argentina in January 2024. He did not make his senior international debut for Ecuador until October 2021 – aged 34 – after years of being overlooked for international selection. What followed was a rapid rise to become the number one: he was in goal throughout the World Cup qualifiers and played a key role in ensuring that Ecuador conceded just five goals. At Huracán this season, with a FotMob rating of 7.25, he is delivering his most consistent club performances in years. With 34 international caps, he is the most experienced goalkeeper in the trio – and Beccacece’s clear first choice.

Ramírez, aged 25, can look back on an unusual mix of success and patience. He has spent almost his entire career at Independiente del Valle, with a loan spell at Real Sociedad B in Spain in 2019 marking his only international venture. With Independiente, he won the 2022 Copa Sudamericana, the 2023 Recopa Sudamericana and the 2022 Copa Ecuador. In the summer of 2025, he joined AE Kifisia in the Greek Super League on a free transfer, where he has featured in 20 league matches this season as first-choice goalkeeper. At international level, he was already part of the 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar and the 2024 Copa América squad – although he did not feature in either tournament. With six international caps to his name, he is Beccacece’s reliable second-choice goalkeeper, a keeper with extensive club experience and the right background for this role.

Valle is 30 years old and has taken an unusually long route to earning a place in the national team. After seven years at Guayaquil City, he moved to LDU Quito in January 2024, where he immediately established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper and competed in the 2025 Copa Libertadores group stage with the club. He did not make his international debut until January 2025 in a 0–0 draw against Chile – at the age of 28. With just two international caps to his name, he is the least experienced goalkeeper of the trio at international level. The fact that Beccacece selected him nonetheless is a testament to his consistent performances at the highest level in Ecuador. For Valle, the World Cup is the first and biggest moment of his international career.