- Ecuador have won two and drawn two of their last five matches in all competitions.
- Curacao have lost four of their last five games, winning just once.
- Curacao have conceded seven goals in their only away game at the World Cup.
History awaits Curacao
Ecuador and Curacao face off at Kansas City Stadium in a pivotal match in Group E at the FIFA World Cup on Sunday.
The two teams sit third and fourth in the group with zero points apiece from their one game so far and both will be looking to remain in the qualifying hunt behind hosts Germany.
Curacao will be playing their second game at the World Cup, a tournament in which they have yet to register a point.
There will be plenty of history in this match for the Caribbean nation but the value lies elsewhere in this clash.
Ecuador are much better
Ecuador are the side to follow on Sunday with their identity far more established and their squad more suited to getting out of their current predicament.
Sebastián Beccacece has instilled a clear structure to their game since taking over as manager in August 2024, where they look to be compact and narrow in defense and can press with purpose.
Their games are a chess match where they press at certain points and transition quickly to either defend deep or counter attack.
There is a place for a player like Moisés Caicedo in the middle of that, who looks to stop play and break up transitions, with the full backs providing width in attack.
Curacao can attack on the break
Curacao are a team that also set up to be very compact but do so in a lower block, with Dutch pragmatism running through their style of play.
Dick Advocaat has done well since taking over in May 2026, making them tough to break down and very dangerous on the counter when they slow the game down.
Livano Comenencia has been their standout player, scoring one goal in the World Cup, and they have the pace on the flanks to get at teams in transition.
We think Ecuador's superior organisation and their ability to play with width through their full backs will see them stretch Curacao out and expose gaps in their defence.
But the Caribbean island can certainly get on the scoresheet, having lost 4-1 to Scotland and 7-1 to Germany in their previous two games and that 4-0 friendly win over Aruba in June is their only win in their last five.
So we're taking an Ecuador win and over 2.5 goals, with both teams to score looking good too.
Ecuador to win is 1.11, over 2.5 goals is 1.42 and both teams to score is 2.98.
