Marcelo Gallardo takes charge of Ecuador with Willian Pacho in defence

Marcelo Gallardo has been officially named Ecuador manager, succeeding Argentine Sebastian Beccacece at the helm of the Tri. The former Monaco and PSG midfielder, who left River Plate this summer after an unsuccessful spell at Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, has reportedly signed until the 2030 World Cup for a salary slightly above €250,000 per month, with ten staff members of his choosing.

His arrival coincides with an international window that will take the Ecuador squad to East Asia. The Tri will face South Korea on September 24 in Suwon, then Japan on October 1 as part of the Kirin Cup, before facing the winner of Panama-New Zealand on October 5 in Tokyo. PSG centre-back Willian Pacho will be part of the trip, along with Joel Ordoñez and Piero Hincapié in defence and Moisés Caicedo in midfield.

Gallardo inherits a squad with intact ambitions, but still marked by a disappointing 2026 World Cup. Despite being well-equipped — Ecuador finished second in South American qualifying behind Argentina, conceding just five goals — the Tri stumbled in the group stage, beaten by Côte d’Ivoire (1-0) then held to a draw by Curaçao (0-0), despite fifteen saves from goalkeeper Eloy Room. A stunning victory over Germany (2-1) allowed them to progress from the first round, before elimination in the round of 16 against Mexico (2-0) on July 1.

Willian Pacho, 24 years old with 38 caps, had entered the tournament with the status of two-time UEFA Champions League winner. The defender, developed at Independiente del Valle, could not compensate for the collective shortcomings of a team that had the means to go further. Gallardo’s mission will be to transform this potential into results in the upcoming competitions.