Ecuador's coach and the World Cup miracle

Sebastián Beccacece sprinted to the stands and let his loved ones celebrate him.

June 26, 2026

From: apa/dpa

The celebration with his family was "very important" to him, said Ecuador's national coach after the 2-1 victory against Germany and the subsequent qualification for the round of 32 of the World Cup. It was undoubtedly one of the most emotional days in the coach's career—a coach who passionately fights for the love of the fans.

It's about sharing these moments with his wife, mother, and daughters, Beccacece said. Only his father is no longer alive and is watching "from above," the 45-year-old said after leading Ecuador to their first knockout stage at a World Cup in 20 years, likely saving his job in the process.

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa thanked both the coach and the players on social media. Friday was a "holiday," the 38-year-old wrote on X.

90 minutes under pressure

The relationship between Beccacece and Ecuador's fans is, to put it mildly, not the easiest. And that explains the intense emotions the Argentinian displayed during the final group stage match against Germany in East Rutherford. Throughout the entire game, the coach drove his team forward with unwavering dedication, at times even stepping onto the pitch himself. After Gonzalo Plata's winning goal, Beccacece was already running wildly down the touchline. After the final whistle, there was absolutely no stopping the bundle of energy.

Becaccece celebrates with fans and family after the final whistle. © APA / MATTIA OZBOT

His team had "achieved something great" on Thursday and "defeated a world power," said Beccacece. "I truly wish that people would fall in love with these players. Ecuador is a place to fall in love with." He himself had long since fallen in love with this team and this country, he admitted. He was "very grateful" to the people of the nation of 18 million, Beccacece said, and listed several cities he had already visited there.

Ecuadorians faced a fiasco

Are Ecuadorian fans finally falling in love with him almost two years after he took office? Beccacece had said before the game that he hadn't yet won their hearts. The criticism against him had been growing increasingly louder recently.

Also because of their defensive playing style. "El Tri," as the national team is known, had finished second in their South American World Cup qualifying group, but had effectively parked the bus, scoring only 14 goals in 18 games. After a 0-1 loss against Ivory Coast and a 0-0 draw against Curaçao, a fiasco seemed imminent. But against Germany, they staged a comeback.

Heaven? Hell? “We are on Earth”

Tens of thousands of fans in yellow jerseys celebrated Beccacece's team – and the coach himself. Beccacece, who has been coaching for 23 years and long served as assistant to Argentina's former national coach Jorge Sampaoli, had announced that he expected to lose his job if the team failed. Instead, he celebrated a "historic victory," as the Ecuadorian newspaper "El Universo" put it.

“We didn’t feel like we were in hell, we don’t feel like we’re in heaven now, we’re on earth,” Beccacece said dramatically, reflecting on his emotional rollercoaster of the past few days. He had repeatedly emphasized how much he believed in his players. Do Ecuador’s fans now believe in him too?

Keywords Soccer World Cup Ecuador Germany Beccacece