Ecuador tipped as World Cup dark horse, Marqués picks Sweden

Ecuador named dark horse for 2026

Ecuador enters the World Cup with real momentum and outsiders are starting to notice. The Guardian has listed La Tri alongside Japan and Norway as the dark horses to watch at this tournament (1). The team's convincing friendly win over Guatemala and Sebastián Beccacece's tactical flexibility have caught the eye. Your opening match against Ivory Coast is shaping up as a chance to make an early statement.

Djurgården's Marqués: 'I'm betting on Sweden'

Djurgården centre-back Mikael Marqués, who holds Ecuadorian roots, has revealed he had concrete contact with Ecuador's U21 national team but has chosen to pursue a senior career with Sweden instead. "My love for Sweden is greater, I'm betting on Sweden's national team," the 24-year-old told FotbollDirekt (2). Marqués plays alongside established Ecuadorian stars like Moises Caicedo at club level, but the Swedish league defender won't be joining them in the national setup.

German players arrange fan shuttles for Ecuador clash

Germany's national team, led by Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich, have organized shuttle buses for fans traveling to their group stage match against Ecuador on June 25 in New York (3). The initiative is aimed at cutting travel costs for supporters. A nice gesture from the opposition, but also a reminder that Ecuador will face a well-supported and well-organized Germany side in that group stage fixture.

Fan reactions

World Cup power rankings are flooding in and Ecuador fans are watching closely. A Reddit user has compiled the average ranking across 14 major media outlets, and while the post focuses on the top contenders, the conversation around dark horses is buzzing. Ecuador's name keeps surfacing in these discussions. See the full ranking compilation.