Ecuador's first Atahualpa game since Messi's 2017 hat trick gave Gallardo his first win

The last time Ecuador played at Quito's Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Lionel Messi scored a hat trick to drag Argentina into the 2018 World Cup. More than nine years later, the national team finally went back, and it gave Marcelo Gallardo the result he had not managed in three tries: a 2-0 friendly win over Costa Rica on Friday night, his first victory as Ecuador coach.

Gallardo took over after the 2026 World Cup and opened with a September and October tour of Asia that went badly. Ecuador lost 3-0 to South Korea, then drew 0-0 with Japan and 1-1 with Panama, losing both games on penalties, 5-4 and 7-6, according to Perfil and El Comercio. Friday was also his first game in charge on Ecuadorian soil.

"We went from less to more, we kept growing," Gallardo said afterward, per Olé. "The team left a good impression because it wasn't satisfied with just going ahead."

Costa Rica started with more energy and forced goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez into early work, but Ecuador went ahead in the 22nd minute when Piero Hincapié slipped a pass through for Jordy Caicedo, the Huracán striker, who finished across the keeper. From there the hosts took over. BBC Sport's numbers had Ecuador with 63% of the ball, 19 shots to four, seven on target to two and 11 corners to one.

The visitors' night got harder in the 68th minute, when defender Diego Mesén was sent off for a foul that stopped an Ecuador attack near the box. Late on, Juan Pablo Vargas brought down John Yeboah in the area, and Chelsea's Moisés Caicedo converted the penalty in the 83rd minute to settle it. Costa Rica still had one real scare for Ecuador, when Snayder Porozo cleared a loose ball almost off the line after Galíndez failed to hold it.

The stadium carries history for Ecuador. It is where they sealed qualification for their first World Cup, in 2002, and where they lost 3-1 to Argentina on Oct. 10, 2017, the night of Messi's hat trick. El Universo estimated the crowd at close to 90% capacity on Friday, not quite a sellout, but a strong turnout for the return.

Ecuador close 2026 against Bolivia on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Estadio Monumental in Guayaquil, while Costa Rica, coached by Bryan Ruiz, face Argentina the same day. For Gallardo, the next step is turning one convincing night into a pattern, and for Chelsea, the good news is that Caicedo, wearing Ecuador's captain's armband, was on the scoresheet in his return to the national team.