The Ecuadorian National Team is preparing to host Paraguay in a key match for the ninth round of the South American Qualifiers towards the 2026 World Cup. In a duel with an Argentine accent on the substitute benches, those led by Sebastián Beccacece will seek to take advantage of the home field in Quito to gain a foothold in the direct qualifying positions, while Gustavo Alfaro’s Albirroja will try to strike a blow to get into the fight for a place in the next World Cup.
Therefore, in this article we tell you everything you need to know before this exciting meeting: When do Ecuador and Paraguay play?date and time, all the preview and how to watch live.
When do Ecuador and Paraguay play?
The match between Ecuador and Paraguay will be played on Thursday, October 10 at 6:00 p.m. (Argentine time) at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado Stadium in Quito. The match, corresponding to the ninth date of the 2026 South American Qualifiers, will be broadcast by DSports, while it can also be followed via streaming through the DGO+ platform.
La Tri comes to this match occupying fourth place in the standings with 11 points, after three units were deducted due to a penalty.. Beccacece’s team has had mixed results on the double date in September, with a loss against Brazil and a victory against Peru. Now, the brand new Argentine coach will seek to take advantage of the altitude of Quito to add three and consolidate himself in the direct qualification zone.
In the training sessions prior to the match, Beccacece tried a 3-4-3 scheme, betting on the defensive solidity that the team showed in its last presentations. The line of three central defenders would be made up of Félix Torres, Willian Pacho and Piero Hincapié, while Hernán Galíndez would remain in goal.. In the midfield, the Óscar Zambrano-Moisés Caicedo duo would seek balance, with Alan Franco and Pervis Estupiñán as wingers.
In attack, the historic scorer Enner Valencia would start as a center forward, escorted by Gonzalo Plata and Alan Minda on the wingers. However, the DT manages variants such as John Yeboah, Jeremy Sarmiento and Kevin Rodríguez, so the final formation could suffer last-minute modifications.
For its part, Paraguay occupies seventh place in the table with 9 points, a position that for the moment would give it access to the playoffs. La Albirroja is on the rise after the draw against Uruguay and the historic 1-0 victory against Brazil in the last double date, results that allowed it to get closer to the qualification zone for the 2026 World Cup.
The team of Gustavo Alfaro, former coach of Ecuador, will make at least two variations in its starting eleven to visit La Tri. The big news will be the inclusion of left back Agustín Sandez, who received his first call-up after obtaining Paraguayan nationalization. Furthermore, the presence of scorer Alex Arce up front is taken for granted, forming an offensive trident with Miguel Almirón and Julio Enciso.
Ecuador vs Paraguay: Technical sheet
- Tournament: South American Qualifiers 2026 (Date 9)
- Date: Thursday, October 10
- Time: 6:00 p.m. (Argentine time)
- Stadium: Rodrigo Paz Delgado Stadium, Quito
- Transmission: DSports
- Streaming: DGO+