Ecuador Appointed Marcelo Gallardo as Head Coach Through to the Twenty Thirty World Cup
The former River Plate manager, who won fourteen trophies in his first spell in Buenos Aires, takes his first job in international football at the age of fifty.
Ecuador appointed Marcelo Gallardo as head coach on 14 September 2026, handing the Argentine a contract that runs to the 2030 World Cup.
Gallardo, 50, replaces Sebastian Beccacece, who left after Ecuador went out of the 2026 World Cup in the first round following a defeat by Mexico. It is Gallardo's first role in international management.
He won fourteen trophies in his first spell at River Plate, including two Copa Libertadores titles. He returned to the club for a second spell that ended in February 2026 without further silverware.
Ecuador finished second in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, behind only Argentina. Their squad includes the Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie and the Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho.
The president of the Ecuadorian Football Federation, Francisco Egas, said the federation had sought out Gallardo for what he had won but above all for what he represents.