Ecuador's National Team Coach Beccacece Resigns After World Cup Exit Against Mexico

Match Recap: Early Deficit and Clear Mexican Dominance

Within a good half-hour, Ecuador was already trailing the co-host Mexico 0:2 and was "klar unterlegen" in the first half, as the match analysis put it. The Round of 16 was the end of the road for the South Americans, who fell short of their goal of playing "die beste WM in der Geschichte Ecuadors". Beccacece said: "Wir haben es nicht geschafft, unser Ziel zu erreichen - nämlich die beste WM in der Geschichte Ecuadors zu spielen".

In the group stage, Ecuador had put in an uneven performance. Following a 0:1 loss to Ivory Coast and a 0:0 draw against Curaçao, the team was under pressure heading into its final group match against Germany. With a 2:1 victory over the reigning European champions, Ecuador still managed to advance to the round of the last 32, although Beccacece briefly drew international attention at a stadium in the city: he climbed into the stands after the final whistle to celebrate with his wife Patricia and his two daughters.

Qualification with a Strong Run: Second Place Behind Argentina

Beccacece had previously guided the team to the finals in the USA, Mexico, and Canada with a strong run of results. Ecuador had finished second in the South American qualifiers, ahead of Uruguay, Colombia, and Brazil. The decisive spark was a 1:0 win over reigning world champions Argentina, and eleven unbeaten matches in a row secured the federation its ticket.

Despite this sporting résumé, the air had grown thinner for Beccacece in recent weeks. After the goalless draw against Curaçao, individual experts publicly called for his dismissal; in addition, as reports put it, there had been "Widerstand aus dem Kader" against the Argentine coach. Beccacece did not address these tensions in detail, but emphasized the team spirit.

Internal Tensions and Criticism of Beccacece

At his emotional farewell, he said: "Die Ergebnisse geben den Ton an, und heute muss ich mich von einer wunderschönen, wunderbaren Familie verabschieden." Elsewhere he added: "Heute ist es an der Zeit, sich von einer wunderbaren Familie zu verabschieden." On both occasions, he was addressing the team, the coaching staff, and the federation as a community.

Regarding his personal future, Beccacece said: "Ich werde nun erstmal Zeit mit meiner Familie verbringen, mich erholen und zurückschauen, was ich besser hätte machen können." At the same time, he drew a positive balance of his tenure: "Ich denke, dass wir ein Erbe hinterlassen. Es war ein großartiges Abenteuer mit einem bittersüßen Ende."

The sporting end itself had been foreshadowed. In the first half, Mexico, playing on home soil in front of a home crowd, dominated. The early goals set the tone. Even afterwards, Ecuador could find no way to break through against the compact hosts and turn the match around.

Unrest and Organizational Problems at the Venues

The Round of 16 tie was accompanied by scenes of near-riot around the stadiums. In Monterrey, the broadcaster Telediario reported injuries from a clash in the fan zone; police deployed pepper spray. According to the newspaper El Norte, the Parque Fundidora in Monterrey had reached its capacity of around 100,000 people, and the access points were closed. In Guadalajara, the broadcaster Milenio reported arrests following disturbances at a fan zone.

Inside the Azteca Stadium itself, Mexican fans, according to sources close to the team, directed homophobic chants at Ecuador's goalkeeper Hernán Galindez whenever he put the ball into play. The kickoff of the match had been delayed by an hour, according to a FIFA announcement, due to a storm over Mexico City.

Beccacece had averaged 1.63 points per match across 24 games as Ecuador's national team coach. The South American squad for the finals featured 26 players with a combined market value of €368.70 million. By qualifying for the knockout stage, Ecuador had only partially corrected the weaknesses that had surfaced in the group games.

Coaching Changes During the Tournament and Outlook on Further Round of 16 Matches

His departure is part of a broader pattern of coaching changes during the tournament. The Dutch federation KNVB had announced at the end of June 2026 that head coach Ronald Koeman had resigned following the team's Round of 16 elimination against Morocco. England faces DR Congo in the Round of 16, while the USA play Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At the same time, England's head coach Thomas Tuchel had pointed to the English federation's scientific penalty program, developed eight years ago with experts. "Wir machen, was wir können. Es geht um Entscheidungsfindung, um Entschlossenheit, um Wiederholungen. Der Verband hat ein Programm dafür, dem wir bis ins Detail folgen", said Tuchel. England has won three of four penalty shootouts since 2018, with only the Euro 2021 final lost.

Off the pitch, the U.S. space agency NASA had sent a match ball to the International Space Station (ISS) for the World Cup. NASA chief Jared Isaacman explained that the ball was intended to provide additional motivation for the U.S. team to win the tournament. Kylian Mbappé, meanwhile, has matched Lionel Messi on the all-time scorers' list with 18 goals across three World Cup appearances; Messi has 19 goals in his sixth World Cup.

For Beccacece, born on December 17, 1980, the elimination in Mexico brings the close of a chapter that certainly left its sporting mark: a second-place finish in qualifying, a historic victory over world champions Argentina, and qualification for the knockout stage of a World Cup. The fact that the team fell short of the goal it had set itself remained the blemish. "Es ging darum, das Ziel zu erreichen, das wir uns gesetzt hatten. Nun ja, so ist der Fußball eben", said the coach.