Friday at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa was a good day for Ecuador’s youth pipeline. Independiente del Valle beat Universidad Católica 4-0 to keep the U-17 national title, LDU Quito beat IDV 5-3 to keep the U-19 crown, and members of Marcelo Gallardo’s senior staff watched both finals from the stands. Ecuador’s U-15s open their FIFA tournament in Baku early Saturday.
U-17: IDV repeat as champions
Independiente del Valle won the U-17 final 4-0 at noon ET, and the FEF announced on X that the club are back-to-back champions in the category. IDV went ahead with an own goal in the 7th minute, then Brayson Zamora and Luis Lastra scored before half-time. Danny Jama added the fourth with a late long-range strike. Católica had reached the final by beating Independiente Juniors on penalties in the semifinal.
U-19: LDU win an eight-goal final
The U-19 final, which kicked off at 3:30 PM ET, was wild. According to the club’s youth account, LDU scored through Roger Tenorio in the first minute, Paúl Durán (20′), Jhardel Minda (23′ and 50′) and Klinger (54′). They then held on after IDV pulled three goals back and six minutes were added. LDU also won the 2025 U-19 title, beating Católica 1-0 in last December’s final (Ecuagol). According to the FEF, the winner also earns Ecuador’s place in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Sub-20.
Gallardo’s staff in the stands
The FEF posted that federation president Francisco Egas, Rodrigo Espinosa and the national youth staffs attended the finals. El Universo reported that members of Gallardo’s senior coaching staff were also there scouting young talent. The timing matters: El Hoy reported this week that Gallardo has until Oct 25 to notify clubs of his November call-ups for the friendlies against Costa Rica (Nov 13) and Bolivia (Nov 17).
U-15s open in Baku on Saturday
La Tri announced on X that the U-15 group is “united and strong” ahead of its debut at the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival. Ecuador face Cabo Verde in Group U at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku on Saturday, Oct 24, at 4:45 AM ET.
Futsal U-20: loss to Peru, Brazil next
In the CONMEBOL Liga Evolución North Zone in Xanxerê, Brazil, Ecuador’s U-20 futsal team lost 2-1 to Peru on Friday morning, according to Peru’s national team account. Both Ecuador futsal teams play Brazil on Saturday: the U-20s at 2:15 PM ET and the senior team at 4:30 PM ET. We could not confirm the senior team’s Friday result against Peru from a second source, so we are leaving it out for now.
| Date | Time | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 24 | 4:45 AM ET | Cabo Verde vs Ecuador | FIFA U-15 Festival, Baku |
| Sat, Oct 24 | 2:15 PM ET | Ecuador U-20 vs Brazil U-20 | Futsal Liga Evolución |
| Sat, Oct 24 | 4:30 PM ET | Ecuador vs Brazil | Futsal Liga Evolución |
Every Ecuador national team fixture is on our schedule page.
Leave a Reply