On July 2, according to Mundo Deportivo, Ecuador's all-time leading scorer Enner Valencia officially confirmed that he would end his career as an Ecuadorian international at the national team level.

In the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ecuador lost 0-2 to Mexico and was eliminated. After the match, the 36-year-old veteran striker stated in an interview that this would be his last match for the Ecuadorian national team.

Valencia said as he left the dressing room: "This is my last match for the national team. I have already said goodbye to all my teammates and coaching staff; it's a very sad day. I didn't want my national team farewell to end this way."

As an iconic figure in Ecuadorian football, Valencia played 109 matches for the national team, scoring 49 goals, making him the team's all-time leading scorer. He also performed excellently in the FIFA World Cup, scoring a total of 6 goals, with 3 goals each in the 2014 Brazil FIFA World Cup and the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup.

In this FIFA World Cup, he played in matches against Ivory Coast, Curacao, Germany, and Mexico but failed to score.

Since making his national team debut in 2012, Valencia has long served as the team's core and captain. His national team goal record (49 goals) will remain unbroken for a long time.

The 36-year-old Valencia played in all 4 matches for Ecuador in this FIFA World Cup, but his overall performance was not at its best, and he failed to score. After the elimination match against Mexico, he said in an interview: "I feel very sad, but everything is calm. This is my last match for the Ecuadorian national team."

With the end of this FIFA World Cup, the 36-year-old veteran striker officially drew a close to his national team career.

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