Italy will take on Ecuador in an International Friendly on March 24, 2024. This will be the first time in 19 years that these two nations have faced off against each other.
Kick-Off Time, Location & How to Watch
The match between Ecuador and Italy kicks off at 4:00 PM EST on Sunday 24th March in the United States at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. It is a key pre-tournament clash for both nations as they prepare for their respective upcoming competitions (EURO 2024 and the 2024 Copa America) and will be broadcasted exclusively on TLN TV (Rogers: Channels 28, 35 | Cogeco: Channels 1114, 1115 | Bell: Channels 700, 1619) and Univision Canada (Rogers: Channel 780 | Cogeco: Channels 1116, 1117 | Bell: Channels 699) in Canada.
Ecuador vs Italy: Recent History
Ecuador and Italy have played each other just twice. The first time these two sides faced off was in the Group Stage of the 2002 World Cup where Gli Azzurri defeated La Tri 2-0; the second was a 1-1 draw in a Friendly in 2005.
Italy, who were the winners over EURO 2020, dramatically qualified for EURO 2024. Defeated at home and away by Group C winners England, the Azzurri held on for a goalless draw against Ukraine when defeat would have seen them drop to third. In 2023, they held a record of 5W-2D-3L; they lost to England (2-1, 3-1) and Spain (2-1).
Ecuador, who currently holds the #32 spot in the FIFA World Rankings, made it to the Quarter-Finals of the 2021 Copa America but were knocked out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the Group Stage following a 2-1 loss to Senegal in the last Group Stage match. In 2023, they held a record of 6W-2D-2L; they lost to Argentina (1-0) and Australia (3-1).
Players to Watch from Ecuador & Italy
Ecuador
- Center-Back: Piero Hincapie
- Center-Back: Willian Pacho
- Center Midfielder: Moises Caicedo
- Attacking Midfielder: Kendry Paez
- Striker: Leonardo Campana
Italy
- Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Center-Back: Alessandro Bastoni
- Left-Back/Left Wing-Back: Federico Dimarco
- Center Midfielder: Nicolo Barella
- Striker: Ciro Immobile