Though the Ecuadorian national team’s journey in the World Cup was cut short Tuesday after its loss to Mexico, Ecuadorian immigrants in New York couldn’t be prouder. For three weeks, fans across the city in yellow jerseys showed their support on the streets of Roosevelt Avenue in Queen, and under the screens of Times Square, packing restaurants during watch parties, and filling the stadiums of Kansas City, Philadelphia, and New Jersey.
Edward López, 26, felt the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey shake beneath his feet during the team’s match against Germany last Thursday. Thousands of Ecuadorian fans decked in yellow were jumping, hugging friends and strangers alike as they celebrated the team’s historic win.
Instead of playing an upbeat song to celebrate the victory, the stadium reverberated with fans singing in Spanish in unison: “I can’t see you sad, because it kills me. Your sad little face, my sweet love. Your crying hurts me so much that it hurts my heart with anguish.”
It was the lyrics to Julio Jaramillo’s “Nuestro Juramento,” a passionate bolero about love and devotion that has been dubbed by Ecuadorians as their second national anthem.
“Everyone in the stadium knew the lyrics. Even the little children, who are the new generation, knew the words,” López said in Spanish, adding that he could not contain his tears. “Soccer is something that brings everyone together. The whole country stops for a minute, across social classes.”
From attending watch parties with family, to supporting their team from stadium bleachers, Ecuadorian immigrants who spoke to Documented said that watching their national team play in World Cup 2026 has meant more than just enjoying a sporting event. They describe it as a rare moment of collective pride and unity that offered people an escape from their problems and the pressures of everyday life.
New York is home to nearly 530,000 Ecuadorians, according to a March study by researchers at the CUNY Graduate Center. Roughly 61% of them live in New York City, in hubs like Corona and Jackson Heights, in Queens, and Bushwick and Sunset Park, in Brooklyn — where watch parties have emerged to celebrate with the community.
The Ecuadorian consulate has also hosted World Cup-related events, including an unveiling of a painting by Ecuadorian artist Héctor Anchundia, representing the contributions of the Ecuadorian diaspora. It will remain permanently in the Ecuadorian Consulate in Manhattan.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also spoke of the Ecuadorian community last week in “The Morning Pitch,” the video address he gives that includes weather and traffic updates ahead of local World Cup games. He shouted out “the more than 220,000 Ecuadorian New Yorkers cheering for La Tri,” and highlighted the upbringing of the team’s 36-year-old striker Enner Valencia, reflecting on how difficult life is in Valencia’s hometown in the Chota Valley, one of Ecuador’s poorest areas, and the history of Afroecuadorians who can trace their lineage back to enslaved people.
In his address, Mamdani emphasized the efforts of former Ecuadorian players who have contributed to the region by investing their winnings in infrastructure, and that the “magic of the World Cup” transcends beyond the pitch. “The magic of a tournament that lives on when children drink clean water and are healed in new hospitals. The magic of a tournament that lives on when from time to time it influences injustice.”
López, who lives in Brooklyn, said that he felt extremely humble when he heard Mamdani’s remarks about the Ecuadorian community. “The way he expressed himself about us is amazing,” he said. “We are hardworking people. It’s a huge accomplishment for the immigrant and Ecuadorian community.”
He said that he had saved for his $1,500 ticket since last October, picking up extra gigs for his second job as a background actor. “The reality is that I did have to work a lot, because I wanted to live this experience,” he said. “In fact, I am the only member in my family that has been able to go to a World Cup.”
Although he went to the match by himself, he said he made friends on the way to the stadium and felt at home with all the other supporters around him.
He also gifted his father an authentic jersey from the national team for Father’s Day earlier in June. “I could hear him crying out of emotion, because he is a big fan of soccer,” said López, who has not seen his father in person since migrating from Ecuador three years ago. “He never had an authentic jersey in his life […] and this gift made him shed tears, because he loves it so much.”
Patty Cabrera, 37, also bonded with her father when they attended the game against Germany last week. “My dad cried. It was his first World Cup game. He is already in his sixties, and it was beautiful to share these emotions together,” said Cabrera, who has lived in Port Chester since migrating from Ecuador 27 years ago.
She explained that her dad is also the owner of Don Lucho Restaurant, which serves Ecuadorian food in Port Chester, New York. “Every friendly, tournament and World Cup game, we invite the community to come celebrate it with us,” she said in Spanish. “People call it the home of the national team.”
During this World Cup, she said she has also seen more people — of all ages — wear the jersey of the national team around the neighborhood. The restaurant hosted jersey giveaways during watch parties in the establishment, and even gave free shots during the first two games of the group stage, where Ecuador struggled to gain a victory over Curaçao and Ivory Coast.
“The country [Ecuador] is going through a lot right now, there is a lot of poverty and crime,” she added, referring to the organized crime that has plagued the country for the past few years. “However, I think that a victory fills us with so much happiness that we forget about those things for a moment. And we are just happy for the team, and that is the impact that the team and soccer has had in our country.” The victory against Germany allowed Ecuador to advance to the knockout stage for only the second time in its World Cup history.
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During the game against Mexico in the iconic Estadio Azteca, Cabrera said she felt proud of the national team for how they gave it their all in the match, despite the loss. “As a loyal supporter I know how to enjoy the wins, and how to get up from these defeats,” she said, adding she had hoped their team would make it further into the tournament.
“Thank you team for giving me the opportunity to dream,” she said, “to feel excited with each play, and for allowing me to scream with two historic goals.”
Also read: Family-Friendly Places to Watch the World Cup in New York City
