By KBC Associate 
Match preview for Ecuador v Brazil
Carlo Ancelotti starts his career as Brazil coach with a tricky test in CONMEBOL qualifying as the Selecao travel to Guayaquil to face Ecuador.
Having replaced Dorival Junior, Ancelotti takes on the sizeable task of restoring the five-time world champions to the summit of international football.
Doing so will not be easy, the gap between reigning world champions Argentina and Brazil having been emphatically illustrated by the game that ended Dorival’s reign, a 4-1 defeat to La Albiceleste in Buenos Aires.
That loss at the Monumental left Brazil 10 points behind their arch rivals in CONMEBOL qualifying, with Argentina already sure of their place in the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Six points clear of Venezuela, who occupy the interconfederation play-off spot in seventh, with four games to go, Brazil are still in an excellent position to maintain their record of having qualified for every World Cup finals.
Victory over Ecuador would not quite clinch their place at the 2026 tournament but, with qualification highly likely, the goal for Brazil concerns being in the best position possible to mount a serious challenge to win the World Cup for the first time since 2002.
Marquinhos has seen the kind of impact a coach can have in a short space of time as part of the Paris Saint-Germain team that won the Champions League to complete the treble in just their second season under Luis Enrique.
O TRABALHO NÃO PARA! 🫵
A Seleção Brasileira realizou, na manhã desta terça-feira (3), o segundo treino no CT Joaquim Grava, em São Paulo. A atividade faz parte da preparação para o confronto contra o Equador, que acontecerá na próxima quinta-feira (5), às 20h, no Estádio… pic.twitter.com/oqubkmFkit
— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) June 3, 2025
And he is confident Ancelotti can have a similar influence for Brazil.
“I saw at PSG that things can change very quickly, the dynamics, the energy, everything,” Marquinhos said. “I hope that happens here, too. I’ve had little contact with Ancelotti, only last night and this morning, but he gave me a clear picture of the game plan.
“With his experience, the adaptation will be quick. With his experience, we will improve with every training session. He brings energy, something new. It’s a short time until the World Cup, so this energy is very important. It’s just a start, it will depend a lot on our performance on the field.
“Our first goal is to qualify, that’s what we’re aiming for now. We ask everyone to remain calm, patient, and to have a lot of confidence in our experience and in our coach. He will bring results, yes, and we hope it will be in the next game. If not, we ask for patience because it will work out.
“Our real goal is to qualify for the World Cup, grow, gain strength, and arrive in good shape for the World Cup after qualifying. We always fight for titles, we always fight at the top here in the national team, regardless of the moment. We will always have the highest ambitions.
“The group needs to be strong and prepared. That’s how we prepared for the Champions League and that’s how it needs to be with the national team.”
Ecuador are second in the group and will qualify for the World Cup if they beat Brazil and Venezuela’s game with Bolivia ends in a draw.
Team news for Ecuador v Brazil
Ecuador have made no major changes to their squad from the last round of qualifiers in March, with Sebastián Beccacece sticking with the same formula that has put them on the brink of the finals.
Enner Valencia will likely lead the line for El Tri. Ecuador’s record goalscorer has five to his name so far in qualifying.
Ancelotti handed recalls to the likes of Casemiro, Antony and Richarlison in his first squad.
Neymar was not selected having only recently returned from injury. Midfielder Joelinton, who started against Argentina last time out, is not in the squad after missing Newcastle United’s end-of-season run-in with a knee issue.
Predicted line-ups for Ecuador v Brazil
Ecuador: Galindez; Ordonez, Pacho, Hincapie, Estupinan; Preciado, Vite, Caicedo, Franco, Plata; Valencia
Brazil: Alisson; Vanderson, Danilo, Marquinhos, Carlos Augusto; Bruno Guimaraes, Gerson; Raphinha, Cunha, Vinicius Junior; Richarlison
How to watch Ecuador v Brazil: TV and streaming options
Ecuador versus Brazil kicks off at midnight Friday morning UK time. Premier Sports subscribers can watch the game on Premier Sports 1 or on the Premier Sports Player. Bet365 customers can also watch the game online or via the bet365 app.
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Stats
- Ecuador are unbeaten in all seven of their home games in 2026 World Cup qualifying.
- However, Brazil are unbeaten against Ecuador in 13 games since a defeat in 2004.
- Brazil have kept only three clean sheets in their 14 qualifiers so far, though one of those came in a 1-0 win over Ecuador in the reverse fixture.