Ecuador at the Copa América

Ecuadorian striker Lupo Quiñónez in the away match against Argentina in 1983, where he scored the opening goal. The match ended 2–2. Ecuador did not advance from the strong group which also included Brazil.

Eduardo Hurtado (here in 2016) scored three goals in Ecuador's home tournament in 1993. The team achieved their best-ever result that year, placing fourth.

The Copa América is South America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1967, the tournament was known as South American Championship. It is the oldest continental championship in the world.

Ecuador are one of only two CONMEBOL members who have never won a continental title, the other one being Venezuela. Both teams have never even placed in the top three.

With six goals in 1963, Carlos Alberto Raffo became that tournament's top scorer and the only Ecuadorian to ever receive an individual award at a continental championship. In spite of Raffo's goals, however, Ecuador only placed sixth out of seven nations that year.

Overall record

South American Championship / Copa América record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1916	Not a CONMEBOL member
1917
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927	Did not participate
1929
1935
1937
1939	Fifth place	5th	4	0	0	4	4	18	Squad
1941		5th	4	0	0	4	1	21	Squad
1942	Seventh place	7th	6	0	0	6	4	31	Squad
1945		7th	6	0	1	5	9	27	Squad
1946	Withdrew
1947	Sixth place	6th	7	0	3	4	3	17	Squad
1949	Seventh place	7th	7	1	0	6	7	21	Squad
1953		7th	6	0	2	4	1	13	Squad
1955	Sixth place	6th	5	0	0	5	4	22	Squad
1956	Withdrew
1957	Seventh place	7th	6	0	1	5	7	23	Squad
1959	Withdrew
1959	Fourth place	4th	4	1	1	2	5	9	Squad
1963	Sixth place	6th	6	1	2	3	14	18	Squad
1967	Did not qualify
1975	Group stage	9th	4	0	1	3	4	10	Squad
1979		9th	4	1	0	3	4	7	Squad
1983		9th	4	0	2	2	4	10	Squad
1987		8th	2	0	1	1	1	4	Squad
1989		7th	4	1	2	1	2	2	Squad
1991		7th	4	1	1	2	6	5	Squad
1993	Fourth place	4th	6	4	0	2	13	5	Squad
1995	Group stage	9th	3	1	0	2	2	3	Squad
1997	Quarter-finals	5th	4	2	2	0	5	2	Squad
1999	Group stage	11th	3	0	0	3	3	7	Squad
2001		9th	3	1	0	2	5	5	Squad
2004		12th	3	0	0	3	3	10	Squad
2007		11th	3	0	0	3	3	6	Squad
2011		10th	3	0	1	2	2	5	Squad
2015		10th	3	1	0	2	4	6	Squad
2016	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	2	1	7	4	Squad
2019	Group stage	11th	3	0	1	2	2	7	Squad
2021	Quarter-finals	8th	5	0	3	2	5	9	Squad
2024		8th	4	1	2	1	5	4	Squad
Total	Fourth place	30/48	130	17	28	85	139	331	—

Record by opponent

Ecuador fell victim to the highest defeat in tournament history when they were beaten 12–0 by Argentina in 1942. Ecuador's own highest victory was a 6–1 win against Venezuela in 1993.

Ecuador do not have a positive head-to-head record against any other CONMEBOL member at the tournament.

Copa América matches (by team)
Opponent	W	D	L	Pld	GF	GA
Argentina	0	6	11	17	13	56
Bolivia	1	5	2	8	13	12
Brazil	0	3	12	15	12	53
Chile	1	1	13	16	15	47
Colombia	2	1	10	13	12	23
Haiti	1	0	0	1	4	0
Jamaica	1	0	0	1	3	1
Japan	0	1	0	1	1	1
Mexico	1	2	3	6	5	8
Paraguay	3	3	9	15	15	26
Peru	1	4	8	13	14	30
United States	1	0	1	2	3	2
Uruguay	3	1	14	18	16	66
Venezuela	2	1	2	5	13	6
Total	17	28	85	130	139	331

Record players

Álex Aguinaga's (here as team coach in 2015) international career spanned 17 years.

Álex Aguinaga took part in eight Copa América tournaments. The only other player with that number of tournaments is Uruguayan striker Ángel Romano, who competed in a time when the continental championship was held annually.

Rank	Player	Matches	Tournaments
1	Álex Aguinaga	25	1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001 and 2004
2	Luis Capurro	22	1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997
3	Luis Antonio Mendoza	21	1941, 1942, 1945 and 1947
4	José María Jiménez	20	1942, 1945, 1947 and 1949
5	Jorge Henríquez	18	1945, 1947 and 1953
	Carlos Sánchez	18	1947, 1949, 1953 and 1957
7	Enrique Álvarez	17	1942, 1945 and 1947
	Napoleón Medina	17	1942, 1945 and 1947
	Félix Zurita	17	1942, 1945 and 1947
	José Vargas	17	1947, 1949, 1953 and 1957
	Iván Hurtado	17	1993, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2007
	Enner Valencia	17	2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024

Top goalscorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Tournaments (goals)
1	Carlos Alberto Raffo	8	1959 [Ecuador] (2) and 1963 (6)
2	Ney Avilés	6	1989 (1), 1991 (2) and 1993 (3)
3	José María Jiménez	5	1942 (2), 1945 (1) and 1947 (2)
	Enner Valencia	5	2015 (2), 2016 (2) and 2019 (1)
5	Víctor Aguayo	4	1945
	Jorge Cantos	4	1949 (1) and 1957 (3)
	Jorge Larraz	4	1957
	Álex Aguinaga	4	1991 (2) and 1993 (2)
	Agustín Delgado	4	2001 (2) and 2004 (2)

Awards and records

Individual awards

• Top scorer 1963: Carlos Alberto Raffo (6 goals)

Team records

• Most goals conceded (331)
• Most matches until first victory (34, 4–1 against Colombia in 1949)
• Highest defeat (0–12, against Argentina in 1942)
• Match with most goals (12, Argentina 12-0 Ecuador in 1942)

Individual records

• Most tournament participations: Álex Aguinaga (8, 1987–2004) (shared with Ángel Romano, 1916–1926)
• Longest time span between first and last match: Álex Aguinaga (17y 9d, 4 July 1987, against Peru at age 18 – 13 July 2004, against Mexico at age 36)
• Most own goals in one match: Honorato Gonzabay (2, 2–4 against Peru in 1955)

See also

• Ecuador at the FIFA World Cup
• Ecuador at the CONCACAF Gold Cup

External links

• RSSSF archives and results
• Soccerway database