Ecuador's national team says goodbye to its historic goal-scorer, Enner Valencia, after the 2-0 loss to Mexico in the 2026 World Cup.

What happened to Enner Valencia?

Valencia confirmed his definitive retirement from the national team after the game. The 36-year-old striker leaves a legacy of 49 goals in 109 games with Ecuador.

What is Enner Valencia's legacy?

Valencia scored 6 goals in 10 World Cup games, including 3 in Brazil 2014 and 3 in Qatar 2022. He also had 15 goals in South American qualifying matches. | Date | Match | Result | | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-11-19 | Ecuador vs. New Zealand | 2-0 |

What's next for Ecuador?

The Ecuadorian team is looking for new goal-scorers for the future. Gonzalo Plata and Michael Estrada are some of the players who could fill the void left by Valencia. Valencia's record of 49 goals will be hard to beat in a short time by the current goal-scorers.