Ecuador captaincy shift as Valencia hands armband to Caicedo

Veteran striker Enner Valencia, aged 36, chose to hand his captain’s armband to Moises Caicedo before the World Cup knockout stage to send a unifying message. He told the squad, "All I want is to hug them after the match; this will be a hug of qualification," before passing the bracelet to Caicedo.

Caicedo, who has three goals in 64 caps and is praised for his leadership, embraced the role as Ecuador prepares for the round‑of‑16 clash with Mexico.