- El Tri is in Group B of this edition along with Venezuela, Jamaica and Mexico.
- Moisés Caicedo, Piero Hincapié and Enner Valencia are the names that make the national team dream big in the United States.
Ecuador arrives in the United States in search of its first continental title during the 2024™ CONMEBOL Copa America and has an especially talented generation to help the country dream big at the oldest national team tournament in world soccer.
The Ecuadorian national team debuts in Group B against Venezuela at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara (CA), on June 22, at 3 p.m. local time. Then, they will face Jamaica and Mexico to close out their group. There are still tickets available to follow El Tri at this CONMEBOL Copa América™.
Here are some of the big name players who could shine in the United States:
Moisés Caicedo
Ecuador's most exciting player is also at the center of one of the biggest signings in the history of football: Moises Caicedo inspired Chelsea FC to open their checkbook to bring him from Brighton & Hove Albion last year and turn the midfielder into one of the pillars of the reconstruction of the London club.
Born in Santo Domingo on November 2, 2001, Caicedo was formed in the youth academy of Independiente del Valle, where he began to gain prominence throughout the 2020 season under the direction of coach Miguel Ángel Ramírez. A year later, Brighton signed the 19-year-old prospect. There, the midfielder went through a period of adaptation at Beerschot, in Belgium, before gaining recognition with the Seagulls.
Back at Brighton, Moises Caicedo enjoyed a meteoric rise in a team that was the sensation of the Premier League during the 2022/23 season. He played 37 of the 38 games and showed himself to be one of the most dynamic midfielders in English football. It is no wonder, the Ecuadorian's style of play, with a lot of grit and dedication but without giving up good technique, has been compared to that of the Frenchman Ngolo Kanté, and perhaps that’s why Chelsea saw the value of repeating that magic at Stamford Bridge.
In the national team, Caicedo debuted in 2020, in his second year as a professional. He’s now totaled 39 games and 3 goals scored for El Tri so far.
Piero Hincapié
At 22 years old, Piero Hincapié could be a key name in Ecuador's success at the 2024™ CONMEBOL Copa América USA. The defender, born in Esmeraldas on January 9, 2002, is already a full starter for El Tri, with FIFA World Cup experience under his belt, and for Bayer Leverkusen, where he is coming off an unprecedented title in the 2023/24 Bundesliga, during which the German club went unbeaten.
Hincapié is another phenom from the Independiente del Valle's youth academy and, like his compatriot Caicedo, he was also sought after at a young age by clubs abroad. In 2020, Talleres took the player to Argentine football and, exactly one year later, the red and black of Germany invested in the signing of the Ecuadorian defender. His entry into the starting eleven was almost immediate at the BayArena, and his game has evolved since the arrival of Xabi Alonso at the helm of the team.
Tall, strong and skilled with the ball at his feet, the Ecuadorian left-footer ticks the boxes of modern football's great defenders, popping up in both defensive coverage and attacking support. In the German league, he manages to dominate opponents with a good presence (with both his feet and his head), a virtue that he also exhibits in his national team.
In the colors of his country, Hincapié made his debut for the first team during CONMEBOL Copa América 2021™, played in Brazil, gaining relevance and minutes since then. So far, he’s played in 31 games and scored one goal for La Tri during three years for the national team.
Enner Valencia
The 'Superman' is one of the most experienced names in coach Félix Sánchez Bas' squad for this CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™. He has been wearing the captain's armband for several years and is the leader of a 'golden generation' in Ecuador. Enner Valencia is a national idol, a player who has won admirers wherever he has been, and his numbers speak for themselves: he has scored a more than 180 goals at seven clubs around the world; Internacional, in Brazil, being the last of them.
The striker is also a native of Esmeraldas, where he was born on November 4, 1989, but he grew up at Emelec, in southern Ecuador. He defended the 'Millonario' between 2010 and 2013, and then toured world football with stints at Pachuca (Mexico), West Ham, Everton (both from England), Tigres UANL (Mexico), Fenerbahçe (Turkey) before arriving at the club from Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil.
Valencia is an extraordinary athlete, capable of overcoming defenses with his strength or on the run and can finish with both feet. This physical power has not only helped him have a long and productive career, but also to become the top scorer in the history of the Ecuadorian national team, with 40 goals scored so far.
Enner has experience from four editions of CONMEBOL Copa América™ (from 2015 to 2021), with four goals scored, and an outstanding performance in two FIFA World Cups. He has made 83 appearances for the national team so far.
