O’Higgins goalkeeper Omar Carabalí will not participate in the upcoming World Cup after Ecuador head coach Sebastián Beccacece omitted him from the final 26-man roster released this Sunday. The decision effectively concludes a high-profile administrative effort to integrate the player, who was developed at Colo Colo, into the Ecuadorian national team setup.
Carabalí, who had previously obtained Chilean nationality, sought a formal change of status to represent Ecuador. FIFA granted the necessary clearance for the goalkeeper to be eligible, and coach Sebastián Beccacece confirmed in a press conference that Carabalí had been included in the preliminary 55-man list. This list served as the foundation for the final selection of 26 players.
Signs that Carabalí would miss the tournament became evident over the weekend. The goalkeeper was notably absent from the roster for Ecuador’s friendly match against Saudi Arabia held in the United States this past Saturday. Instead of joining the national squad, Carabalí remained in Chile, where he played for O’Higgins during their 1-0 defeat against Everton in Rancagua on Sunday.
Although the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) had initially indicated that the final roster would be revealed on Monday, June 1, the organization moved the announcement forward to Sunday night. The final squad confirmed Hernán Galíndez, Moisés Ramírez, and Gonzalo Valle as the three goalkeepers selected by Beccacece to represent the country.
Beyond the goalkeeping position, the roster features several prominent international players, including Willian Pacho, Piero Hincapié, and Moisés Caicedo. The Ecuadorian national team is scheduled to begin its World Cup campaign on Sunday, June 14, against Ivory Coast. Following the tournament opener, Ecuador will face Curazao on Saturday, June 20, before closing out the group stage.
