Short answers, pulled from the story.
Ecuador first qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 2001, securing their spot with a 1-1 draw against Uruguay on the 7th of November 2001 at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito. They made their tournament debut at the 2002 World Cup in East Asia.
Enner Valencia is Ecuador's all-time top scorer, with 49 goals in 105 appearances for the national team from 2012 onward.
Ecuador's best Copa América finish is fourth place, achieved twice: in 1959 and in 1993, both times as the host nation.
Ecuador was deducted three points and fined CHF 100,000 as punishment for fielding Byron Castillo, a player whose passport contained falsified information during the previous qualifying cycle. Despite the penalty, Ecuador still qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Ecuador plays their home matches at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito. The stadium opened in 1951 with a capacity of 45,000, later reduced to 35,724.
Juan Alfredo Wright introduced football to Ecuador after returning from university in England. On the 23rd of April 1899, he and his brother Roberto founded Guayaquil Sport Club, the country's first football team.