Morocco rescued a draw against Ecuador in a very high-level game. The South Americans led for almost all the second half, but the African champions didn’t give up and ended up snatching a dramatic goal when the game was entering its final moments.
Ecuador were very fast and strong. They had the best chances and were able to impose their tempo against Morocco, who tried to manage the ball and slow things down, but were unable to do so.
After Ecuador started guns blazing in the second half, Morocco took control of the game near the 75th minute mark, as they were desperate to avoid losing the game. After all, it was quite the entertaining game.
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90+5' - It is all over! Morocco and Ecuador tie the game (1-1)
A fun, speedy game is over at the Metropolitano as Morocco and Ecuador draw 1-1 in a very entertaining game.
Thanks for joining us!
Morocco's resilience was enough to rescue a draw in the dying minutes of the game against a very tough Ecuador side.
As always, it's a pleasure to go minute-by-minute with you guys at Bolavip!
92' - Ecuador makes substitutions (1-1)
Jordy Alcivar and Jeremy Arevalo come into the game in stoppage time as Pedro Vite and Gonzalo Plata come off.
87' - GOOOOOAL MOROCCO! WE'RE TIED (1-1)
NEIL EL AYNAOUI SCORES A HEADER IN THE DYING MOMENTS OF THE GAME!
The one who earned the penalty, then missed it, now gets redemption!
82' - Morocco approaches dangerously! (0-1)
Good opportunity for Morocco with a cross that started to close dangerously on Galindez.
However, it was only a scare.
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80' - Morocco keep moving the bench (0-1)
Abde Ezzalzouli, Mohamed Hrimat, and Noussair Mazraoui are subbed off.
Chemsdine Talbi, Anass Sala-Eddine, and Samir El Mourabet enter the game.
75' Game stops as Yeboah is subbed off! (0-1)
The scorer of the only goal in the game went down after a play. He will be subbed off alongside Enner Valencia
Kendry Paez and Kevin Rodriguez enter the game for the final minutes.
69' - Ezzalzouli misses a big chance again! (0-1)
The Moroccan winger had a one-on-one against the defender, opted to go to his left foot and then crossed it just wide of Galindez's goal!
After the play, Ecuador sent Pervis Estupiñan and Angelo Preciado to the field as Piero Hincapie and Alan Minda go to the bench.
Bilal El Khannous and Soufiane Rahimi enter for Ismael Saibari and Azzedine Ounahi.
68' - Morocco try luck from distance! (0-1)
Ezzalzouli tried to curl it into the far corner, but ended up shooting a weak effort right to the middle which Galindez easily controlled.
However, Morocco are being more aggressive!
64' - MOROCCO'S GOAL IS CANCELED BY VAR! (0-1)
After review, VAR determined that Hrimat was offside when El Aynaoui kicked the penalty, hence, the goal is invalid!
Ecuador remain atop of the game!
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62' - GOAAAL FOR MOROCCO! (1-1)
Morocco ties the game!
El Aynaoui misses from the penalty spot as Galindez made the save, however, Hrimat was there to get the second chance and put the ball in the top of the net!
58' - Penalty for Morocco! (0-1)
Hincapie went into attacking mode and made quite a strong cross shot but Bounou saves it.
Immediately after, Morocco go on the attack as Brahim Diaz forces a corner and soon after, El Aynaoui is fouled in the box!
55' - Ecuador keep in full control (0-1)
Ecuador now have the lead and the ball as they are controlling possession.
Morocco have no answers right now. Soon enough, the manager Ouahbi could use some substitutins
47' - YEBOAH SCORES! What a start to the second half for Ecuador! (0-1)
LIGHTNING STRIKE by Ecuador!
John Yeboah cuts inside, finds a great one-two pass combo with Gonzalo Plata and slots it in the bottom left corner with an amazing strike!
🚨🌎 | GOAL: JOHN YEBOAH OPENS THE SCORING FOR ECUADOR! WHAT A GOAL!
Morocco and Ecuador have 45 more minutes to determine who wins the game!
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First half summary
Ecuador had the best chances to score, but haven't been able to actually force Bounou to shine. As for Morocco, they advance until outside of Ecuador's box, but then, the South American's defenders have been impeccable.
While Morocco want the ball, Ecuador is happy to play at a fast pace and a much more direct approach.
Halftime at the Metropolitano!
The first 45 minutes of action have come and gone in Madrid.
Morocco and Ecuador are leveled at the end of the first half!
42' - Moroccan crowd starting to get impatient! (0-0)
Morocco have the ball, but do little to nothing with it, and the fans are getting frustrated, with boos and whistles starting to go off at the lack of danger.
36' - MINDA ALMOST SCORES A BEAUTY! (0-0)
Great counter-attack by Ecuador, the ball gets to Minda, who cuts inside and sends a curler that almost finds the back of the net!
Ecuador have had the two clearest chances of the game!
32' - Ecuador start to control the tempo of the game (0-0)
After some lethargic moments, Ecuador are starting to advance. Morocco not allowing clear chances, but certainly on the fence right now.
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25' - Action has slowed down at the Metropolitano (0-0)
Both teams have decided to slow down the hectic rhythm.
Long possessions with little to no aggression for the last couple of minutes from both sides.
20' - Morocco start to push up the pace again! (0-0)
Ecuador slowed a bit and Morocco took some step forwards.
They earned a free kick but nothing came from it. At least the African side is no longer suffering on their own half.
15' - CAICEDO COMES SO CLOSE TO OPENING THE SCORE! (0-0)
Ecuador's high pressure allowed them to recover the ball and Caicedo tried to score from outside the box. It went wide by a few inches only!
12' - Ecuador is very dangerous from set pieces! (0-0)
Another set-piece almost pays out for Ecuador. A header from Hincapie goes high from the crossbar, but Ecuador are starting to threaten Morocco's peace.
9' - Enner Valencia almost scores from a free kick! (0-0)
Valencia sent a strong, low shot to Bounou on a free kick. The Moroccan keeper managed to saved it, but it was quite a complex shot, so the GK had to control it with two touches.
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7' - Morocco start strong! (0-0)
Morocco are pressing high and putting pace on Ecuador. However, 'La Tri' are strong on defense and looking for counter-attack opportunities.
1' - WE'RE UNDERWAY! (0-0)
Morocco vs Ecuador has started!
Let's go!
Players are on the pitch!
Players from both teams are on the field for their national anthems.
We're getting closer to kickoff time for Morocco vs Ecuador!
Both teams doing warm up activities
Players for both sides have taken the field for warmups at the Metropolitano Stadium!
FIFA World Rankings for Morocco and Ecuador
Both teams are quite talented, having stars all around their lineups.
Morocco are the 8th best team in the world according to their FIFA ranking, and they are actually very close to overcome Portugal (5th), Brazil (6th), and Netherlands (7th). As for Ecuador, they are in the 24th spot despite their great run in the World Cup Qualifiers. They could factually overtake Turkiye and Korea Republic with a couple of good results in the upcoming game too.
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Ecuador's starting XI is quite star-studded!
Sebastian Beccaccece's side comes with an all in approach as Ecuador will line up its best XI possible.
Ecuador's lineup is the following, in a 3-4-2-1 scheme: Hernan Galindez; Piero Hincapie, Willian Pacho, Joel Ordoñez; Alan Franco, Moises Caicedo, Pedro Vite, Alan Minda; Gonzalo Plata, John Yeboah; Enner Valencia.
📋 Nuestros XI que alinearán esta noche en el Metropolitano para enfrentar a 🇲🇦.
Morocco's manager Mohamed Ouahbi will line up his best team under the classic 4-1-4-1 formation. Yassine Bounou will be at goal. Achraf Hakimi, Chadi Riad, Issa Diop, and Noussair Mazraoui star in defense. The midfield shows Mohamed Hrimat, Neil El Aynaoui, Azzedine Ounahi, Brahim Diaz, and Abde, Ezzalzouli. Finally, Ismael Saibari will step up as the man up front.
التشكيلة الرسمية لـ منتخبنا الوطني ضد الإكوادور 🇪🇨
The Metropolitano Stadium is one of Europe's premier venues
Located in the northeast area of Madrid, Spain, the Metropolitano Stadium has a capacity of 70,692 people for soccer activities. The home of Spanish side Atletico Madrid, the Metropolitano is a very modern arena.
Morocco and Ecuador will play at this stadium, which was re-opened back in September, 2017. Previously, the stadium was built in 1994 and closed in 2004. To use it again, more than $245 million were invested in the construction cost.
Kickoff time and how to watch Morocco vs Ecuador
Morocco vs Ecuador will get underway at 4:15 PM ET.
Morocco and Ecuador face off in 2026 international friendly
Welcome to our live blog of this international friendly match!
Two World Cup teams face off as Morocco and Ecuador clash in the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain. Ecuador are a strong side, while Morocco have plenty of talent across the board, which means this game should be an absolute barnburner!
Stay with us for key information and minute-by-minute updates of this game.
Bruno Milano is a sports journalist who joined Bolavip in June 2025 and is always craving the opportunity to find new angles to tell stories. With over 5 years of experience, he has covered prestigious events such as Super Bowl LVII, Super Bowl LX and UFC live events. Specializing in football, soccer, and combat sports, he is the complete package when it comes to creating dynamic sports content. A polyglot who speaks Spanish, English, and Italian, Bruno has a comprehensive understanding of various sports, including NFL, College sports, MLB, soccer, boxing, and MMA. His broad expertise and linguistic skills position him well to engage a diverse global audience with insightful and engaging sports journalism.