Who is Ecuador coach Sebastián Beccacece? The man who planned Germany's downfall at World Cup

Ecuador sealed a spot in the knockouts of the 2026 World Cup after pulling off a shocking upset over global football heavyweights Germany in New Jersey on Friday. After they upset the four-time champions 2-1 in their final group-stage match, Ecuador coach Sebastian Beccacece could not hide his emotions as he crossed the barricades to celebrate with his family in the stands.

Beccacece’s Ecuador held firm defensively and struck on the counter. After Germany opened the scoring in just the second minute, Nilson Angulo quickly levelled in the ninth. The decisive moment came in the 77th minute when Gonzalo Plata fired Ecuador ahead. Despite relentless German pressure, Ecuador’s resilience and shape proved unbreakable, sealing a famous 2-1 victory.

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The head coach's emotions showed how much Ecuador's victory meant, as they secured a spot in the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams. Germany still advanced as the group leaders, but Beccacece helped deliver one of the country's biggest World Cup victories.

Who is Sebastián Beccacece?

Sebastián Andras Beccacece was born in Rosario, Argentina, on December 17, 1980, and currently serves as head coach of the Ecuador national football team. He began his playing career as a right-back for clubs such as Lavalle and Juan XXIII until 2001, before deciding not to pursue international football.

Beccacece kick-started his coaching career as Jorge Sampaoli's assistant in 2003 at Sport Boys and rose through coaching South American football clubs.

In 2012, Beccacece was the assistant coach for the Chile national team and helped them secure qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and win the 2015 Copa America.

The Argentine went on to receive his first managerial role in 2015 when he became head coach at Universidad de Chile. He also managed Argentine side Defensa y Justicia from 2016-17 before becoming the assistant coach for the Argentina senior team and head coach of the national U20 side.

From 2018 to 2024, Beccacece returned to manage Defensa y Justicia and had managerial gigs at Independiente, Racing Club, and Elche CF in La Liga.

In August 2024, Beccacece succeeded Felix Sánchez as head coach of the Ecuador national team and guided the team to a historic knockout qualification at the 2026 World Cup.

Beccacece ecstatic after Ecuador stuns Germany

Following Ecuador's 2-1 victory over Germany, Beccacece acknowledged it was the team's biggest World Cup victory, and the whole country will be celebrating the feat.

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“The entire country is celebrating. It is the biggest victory for Ecuador in a World Cup. We worked for that, we came with the dream of making Ecuador's best cup ever, and now we did," Beccacece said in the post-match press conference. 

Ecuador will face one of the six group winners, who will be assigned to play a qualifying third-placed team. Their exact opponent would be determined once the group stage concludes.