Hurtado on Ecuador's World Cup journey and hopes for Germany rematch

Ecuador's most-capped player of all time, Iván Hurtado, has shared his thoughts on his nation's World Cup prospects and revisited memorable encounters with both hosts Germany and Round-of-16 rivals England at the 2006 tournament. Currently competing at their fifth FIFA World Cup, Ecuador first appeared on football's ultimate stage at Korea/Japan 2002.

"Not all players get those sorts of experiences," said the former defensive linchpin, reflecting on a career spanning nearly a quarter of a century in an interview with FIFA. "The World Cup brings the planet to a standstill and is the ultimate goal for any footballer. We all dream of playing at the tournament, and we made that dream come true."

Hurtado, who made 168 appearances for La Tricolor, is the second most-capped South American men's player behind Lionel Messi and ranks among the top 20 worldwide. "It was the icing on the cake after so many years of hard work," added the 51-year-old. "The lads fought tooth and nail and gave their all to bring joy to a country that was desperate for its moment in the international spotlight and eager to rub shoulders with the very best. We reaped the rewards of the hard yards put in by the generations before us. It was a unique experience. The touch paper was lit; it was the turning point in our history. That was our first World Cup, and some two and a half decades later here we are at our fifth almost consecutive edition – having only missed out in 2010 and 2018."

Ecuador's World Cup debut in 2002

Ecuador's bow on the grandest stage ended in a 2-1 defeat by Italy on 3 June 2002, with Christian Vieri scoring twice for the Azzurri. They lost 2-1 against Mexico before securing a maiden World Cup victory in their final group outing as Edison Méndez turned home the only goal against Croatia. "We beat Croatia, who'd impressed at France 1998," said the former skipper. "We were so disappointed not to make it out of the group, but then we realised that not every team gets off the mark with a win at their first World Cup."

2006: A historic run and a clash with Germany

The Esmeraldas-born centre-back appeared again at the 2006 tournament, where La Tri advanced further than ever before or since. Carlos Tenorio and Agustín Delgado secured an impressive 2-0 opening triumph over Poland before the CONMEBOL representatives made light work of Costa Rica thanks to strikes from Tenorio, Delgado and Iván Kaviedes. Ecuador topped the table heading into their final group bout with hosts Germany, whom they face again at this year's showpiece.

"It was a historic moment," Hurtado recalled. "We were a really tight-knit group, with a rock-solid defence, a nice balanced midfield capable of controlling the game, plenty of attacking threat down the flanks and a ruthlessness up top. We had an almost perfect tournament." He underscored that the Germans had "a fantastic side", full of "seasoned icons – real giants of the game", including Per Mertesacker, Philipp Lahm, Michael Ballack, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose.

With Ecuador already assured of a place in the round of 16, coach Hernán Darío Gómez decided to rest some of his mainstays. Germany took full advantage, with Klose scoring twice and Podolski adding a third. Hurtado recalled: "Klose was such a top-quality striker and deadly in the box. You couldn't give him a sniff, but if we'd been at full strength I don't think he'd have had that freedom and might not have got both his goals. We may have ended up losing anyway, but I'm sure the game would have played out differently."

Looking ahead to the 2022 rematch

The two nations will meet once more on Thursday, 25 June – again in the third and final group-stage encounter. "I hope the lads can get their revenge for that defeat 20 years ago," said Hurtado. "Football is so great because it gives you those second chances."

England ends Ecuador's 2006 journey

La Tricolor's odyssey on German soil eventually came to an end against England in the last 16, a trademark David Beckham free-kick halting their run. Ecuador have not advanced beyond the round of 16 since.