There’s only one thing Ecuadorians are tuning in to when Piero Hincapie is playing in the red and white for Arsenal.
“He is everywhere, and people really love him.” Those are the words of Ecuadorian journalist, Diego Arcos Saavedra, when asked about our South American full-back.
“You have to understand that in our country, these players are like gods. If you are driving around Ecuador, you will see billboards all over the cities with Hincapie’s face. On banks, on all kinds of products, he’s everywhere.
Piero’s rise to superstardom in Ecuador almost failed to take off at all.
Having made the move away from Ecuador to Talleres in Argentina at a young age, Hincapie was then selected for the Copa America in 2021, a decision that initially raised eyebrows.
Saavedra, who is reporting on the team from the USA, said: “He played only two or three games in Ecuador, and then he went to Argentina, and when they played him in his first game in that Copa America, probably the second or third play he made, he made a mistake.
“He gave the ball back to the opposition; people were furious. But after that play, in his first game, he was perfect.
“So from that Copa America in Brazil, he became a really good player. Nobody was concerned, and nobody was arguing why he was playing. So I could tell you that from that Copa America on, he started building his legacy.”
That legacy has certainly been building and building over the past few years.
A move to Europe saw Hincapie make history with Bayer Leverkusen, clinching a first-ever Bundesliga title in 2024, going a whole season unbeaten to boot.
A transfer to us last summer kept his stock rising.
“People were so happy that he wound up in the Premier League, and when you’ve seen him at Arsenal. He found a rhythm and has become an important player in Mikel Arteta’s side.
“It’s always a joy when he’s playing. I’m not exaggerating, but when he’s playing, you could probably turn down the volume in your house in Ecuador, put the ear outside your house, and you will hear all the TVs from the neighbourhoods watching his game.”
It’s been quite a few years for Piero and Ecuador. Forming a backline that conceded just five goals in World Cup qualifying, Ecuador reached the finals for a fifth time in their history.
“It’s a strong defence,” Diego said. “People are very proud about that, and if you look at the perspective, of those five goals Ecuador conceded, two of those were own goals. So no fault of the defence.”
Ecuador will be hoping those strong defensive principles continue at the World Cup. In a tough group alongside the Ivory Coast and Kai Havertz’s Germany, the mood is still high that La Tri can match their previous record run to the round of 16 back in 2006.
“I believe this team could go to the next stage,” Saavedra said. “I believe they could make it. Probably the worst-case scenario, they could be third. They have a good defence, so they could be drawing a few games.
“One thing you can guarantee is that Ecuador fans will be present. They’re already plotting out their journeys all over the place. There is a great mood in the camp.”
Piero and Ecuador kick off against the Ivory Coast, before facing World Cup newbies Curacao and finishing with a clash against Havertz and Germany.
Take in some of Hincapie’s best moments from his debut season below!
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