England vs Ecuador World Cup 2026 Tickets

England vs Ecuador History

England have met Ecuador in the FIFA World Cup before, back in 2006, when a goal from David Beckham was enough to see them home in a narrow 1-0 win in the first knockout phase game.

England at the World Cup

England fans will have been pleased with the group stage draw that saw them line up alongside Iran, the USA, and Wales, and a route to the Round of 16 couldn't have been easier, and no doubt Harry Kane has had a field day in terms of finding the back of the net.

England's history at the World Cup is well known. They've often done well in the competition before crashing out at a key stage, usually via a penalty shootout.

Dreaded Penalties

At the 1990 World Cup, the Three Lions competed manfully up until the semi-finals when they lost out to West Germany on penalties after a pulsating 1-1 draw in Italy.

In 1994 England failed to qualify at all, this was during the ill-fated reign of Graham Taylor and in 1998 they returned with a bang and a lot was expected of Glenn Hoddle's side, who eased through their group before losing to Argentina on penalties, this after youngster Michael Owen had scored one of the all-time best World Cup goals.

Beaten by Brazil

There are some exceptions to the rule. In 2002 at Japan and South Korea World Cup, England went ahead against Brazil in the quarter-finals but then saw goes from Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, who caught keeper David Seaman off guard, and saw the eventual winners safely through.

2006 saw England lose to Portugal on penalties after Wayne Rooney had been sent off.

In 2010 England fans have a right to feel angry about the manner of their quarter-final exit at the hands of Germany, which came after Frank Lampard had a perfectly good goal not given, despite the ball clearly crossing the line.

New Low

In 2014 they reached new lows when they bowed out of the World Cup at the group stage, securing just a single point from their three group stage games, and that coming in a goalless draw with Costa Rica.

In 2018 they fell to Croatia in the semi-finals, which was something of a shock, and Gareth Southgate will want more from his team in 2022.

England are expected to qualify for the knockout phase, and their first match against Iran will be a good indicator of how confident they are. Easing into the second round to face Ecuador won't hold much concern for any England football fan, but the quarter-finals onwards may be a different proposition altogether.

As well as Harry Kane, the likes of youngsters Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham will look to make a real impact on the world stage, and the exciting nature of the players coming through only heightens interest from those looking to buy tickets for World Cup matches.

Ecuador at the World Cup

Ecuador's first taste of World Cup finals football came in 2002 in Japan and South Korea, where they finally managed to qualify for the tournament. The Qatar World Cup will subsequently be their fourth finals and only one previous occasion has the South American side managed to get through the group and gone on to play in the Round of 16.

That came in 2006 when they beat Poland and Costa Rica before losing to hosts Germany, enough to get them out of the groups and into the knockout phase, where they lost to England.

Open Against the Hosts

Ecuador starts their World Cup 2022 campaign by facing hosts Qatar at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor before taking on the Netherlands in what one presumes will be a far tougher World Cup clash four days later. Head coach Gustavo Alfaro then sees his side face Senegal in what is sure to be a crucial clash on the 29th of November at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan.

Among Alfaro's squad will be a few familiar faces, including former West Ham man Enner Valencia and Brighton pair Moises Caicedo and Pervis Estupinan.