Ecuador vs Guatemala

Ecuador sent a confident message ahead of the 2026 World Cup, cruising past Guatemala 3-0 in Columbus, Ohio. The standout moment came from Pervis Estupiñán, whose jaw-dropping long-range strike in the 78th minute — launched after the goalkeeper lost the ball — put a final, emphatic stamp on the result. Jordy Caicedo opened the scoring from the spot in the 19th minute, a penalty that drew some controversy from the Guatemala side. Nilson Angulo then headed home in the 72nd minute to put the game beyond doubt. Guatemala managed zero shots on goal across 90 minutes and never looked capable of troubling the Ecuador backline. For Ecuador, it is the ideal send-off — they enter the tournament riding an 18-match unbeaten run and face Ivory Coast in their Group E opener on June 14 in Philadelphia. Guatemala, without a World Cup place, will need to sharpen their attacking output considerably in future windows.