Ecuador has its man for the long haul. The Ecuadorian Football Federation announced Sunday that Marcelo Gallardo will coach La Tri through the 2030 World Cup, handing one of South America’s most talented squads to the most decorated club manager in River Plate’s history.
The announcement came in a video posted by the federation late Sunday, September 13. Gallardo, 50 and nicknamed “Muñeco,” replaces his fellow Argentine Sebastián Beccacece, whose Ecuador side was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup by Mexico, a 2-0 defeat to El Tri at the Azteca in the round of 32.
A Mexico connection and a first for Gallardo
For Mexican fans, this hire has a direct storyline. Beccacece took Ecuador to a strong second-place finish in CONMEBOL qualifying, but the World Cup exit at Mexico’s hands ended his tenure. Gallardo now inherits that same core of young talent and has four years to turn it into a genuine contender for 2030.
It’s a first for Gallardo: he has never coached a national team. His résumé is entirely at club level: Nacional in Uruguay, two stints at River Plate, and a spell with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. He stepped down from River in February after a disappointing second stint, but his legacy there is enormous: seven domestic titles, two Copa Libertadores trophies and a Copa Sudamericana from his first run.
“We have a generation that competes at the highest level,” federation president Francisco Egas said. “We have talent, structure, and ambition, and we believe this national team is ready to take the next step.”
What comes next
Gallardo’s debut is expected on September 24 against South Korea in Suwon, as part of an Asian tour, though that date has been widely reported but not formally confirmed by the federation.
Beyond friendlies, his two defining assignments are the 2028 Copa América and steering Ecuador through South American qualifying for the 2030 World Cup, which opens with matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
Ecuador’s federation is betting that a manager who built a dynasty at River Plate can do the same with a golden generation. Given what Mexican fans saw from that Ecuador side at the Azteca, the talent is real. Now we’ll see what Gallardo does with it, and whether El Tri crosses paths with him in 2030.
