KANSAS CITY (DA) — Curaçao will play the second FIFA World Cup match in its history Saturday against Ecuador at Kansas City Stadium, with both teams looking to recover from opening defeats and earn their first points in Group E.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Curaçao time.
The match will be the first senior international meeting between Ecuador and Curaçao. It also gives the Blue Wave a quick chance to respond after a 7-1 loss to four-time World Cup champion Germany in their tournament debut in Houston.
That opening defeat still produced a historic moment for Curaçao. Livano Comenencia, the youngest player in the squad, scored in the 21st minute to become the country’s first World Cup goalscorer.
Ecuador also enters the match without a point after a difficult finish to its opener. La Tricolor was close to taking a draw against Côte d’Ivoire in Philadelphia before conceding in the 90th minute in a 1-0 loss.
The result ended Ecuador’s 19-match unbeaten run, which had started after a 1-0 qualifying loss away to Brazil in September 2024.
Germany leads Group E with 3 points and a plus-6 goal difference after beating Curaçao. Côte d’Ivoire also has 3 points after its win over Ecuador, while Ecuador and Curaçao are on 0 points after one match.
Ecuador is led by Sebastián Beccacece, the youngest head coach to guide the country at a World Cup. Forward Enner Valencia could also make his eighth appearance in the tournament, which would tie Édison Méndez for Ecuador’s World Cup record.
Valencia is also one goal away from becoming the first Ecuador player to reach 50 senior international goals.
Ecuador has won its last two World Cup matches against CONCACAF teams, beating Costa Rica 3-0 in the 2006 group stage and Honduras 2-1 in the 2014 group stage.
For Curaçao, the mission is clear: improve after the opener, compete deeper into the match and chase the country’s first World Cup point.
Curaçao will close group play June 25 against Côte d’Ivoire at Philadelphia Stadium. Ecuador will face Germany the same day at New York New Jersey Stadium.