Soccer: Brazil to face Ecuador in 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Brazil will take on Ecuador in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers this Friday (Sep. 6) in Curitiba, Santa Catarina state, aiming to bounce back in the competition.

Currently 6th in the standings with seven points from six games, the Brazilian national team hopes to leverage their home advantage to improve their performance and secure a win. They will face a 5th-placed opponent with eight points in the table.

This will be the team’s first match under Dorival Júnior in the qualifiers, following Fernando Diniz's tenure during the initial rounds.

With Dorival Júnior as coach, the team has played eight matches: four friendlies and four Copa America games, reaching the quarterfinals of the June tournament held in the United States.

At a press conference on Thursday (5), the Brazilian coach predicted a challenging match: “It’s going to be tough. Don’t expect a quiet game. Ecuador had a strong Copa América and played closely with Argentina. Expect a good match.”

* Intern Pedro Amorim contributed to this report under the supervision of Paulo Garritano.