Plata moved by heroic goal, vows to Ecuador after World Cup spot

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·25. Juni 2026

Plata moved by heroic goal, vows to Ecuador after World Cup spot

What did Gonzalo Plata, Flamengo forward, say after Ecuador qualified?

Gonzalo Plata was the hero of Ecuador’s qualification for the World Cup knockout stage. After La Tri’s 2-1 win over Germany, the Flamengo forward got emotional about the achievement and also made a promise to fans of the Ecuadorian nation.

– It’s all so beautiful here. We were expecting this long before the World Cup started, but we ended up experiencing it in a different way. We suffered in the first two matches, we suffered a lot,” he said, before concluding: – We really wanted this qualification earlier. But no matter what happens, we have to come with the same hunger; we grew into the match. We suffered until the last minute, but it worked out,” Plata concluded in a post-match interview this Thursday (25).

HOW WAS ECUADOR’S JOURNEY IN THE WORLD CUP GROUP STAGE?

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Ecuador did not have an easy time in this first phase of the World Cup. That is because, even though they were considered one of the favorites alongside Germany in Group E, La Tri had to battle until the final round to secure a place in the knockout stage.

After a loss to Ivory Coast and a draw against Curaçao, Ecuador needed a positive result against Germany. This Thursday (25), the Germans opened the scoring, but La Tri came from behind, with a goal from Plata.

– This team believes a lot, has a lot of faith. We trust in God and in each of the teammates who are here. We know we have 26 players who give their lives for the fans who are here -, Plata stressed.

HAS ECUADOR ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF THE WORLD CUP?

With Plata’s goal, Ecuador reached four points in World Cup Group E. In this way, the country managed to finish among the eight best third-placed teams and, as a result, advanced to the knockout stage.

After the match, Plata was asked about Ecuadorians joking about bringing plenty of clothes to stay at the World Cup. In response, the Flamengo forward said that, as far as he is concerned, the fans will only leave the United States when the World Cup ends.

– It was incredible to have the whole stadium on our side in every game. We felt like the home team. This is our game, and we’re going to give our lives here so they can wear all the clothes they brought -, Plata highlighted.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.