Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, catch up on what to know about Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador with our team guides.
Côte d’Ivoire return to the world stage for the first time since the golden years of the early 2010s. They do not quite have the star power of old, but their squad is packed with recognisable faces to fans in Europe’s top leagues.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations winners, on home soil, usually play 4-3-3 although there are questions over who will play in arguably the most important position: holding midfield.
Ecuador arrive as one of the most solid and respected teams in Conmebol. They finished second in the qualifiers behind Argentina despite the points deduction from the 2022 Byron Castillo case, standing out for having one of the continent’s best defences and a long unbeaten streak.
La Tri secured World Cup qualification with victories that showed collective maturity. This is not a team dependent on one superstar; it is young and balanced. However, goals remains a problem; they scored 14, conceding five, in 18 games in the qualifiers.