Ecuadorian striker Lupo Quiñónez in the away match against Argentina in 1983, where he scored the opening goal. The match ended 2–2. Ecuador did not advance from the strong group which also included Brazil.Eduardo Hurtado (here in 2016) scored three goals in Ecuador's home tournament in 1993. The team achieved their best-ever result that year, placing fourth.
The Copa América is South America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1967, the tournament was known as South American Championship. It is the oldest continental championship in the world.
Ecuador are one of only two CONMEBOL members who have never won a continental title, the other one being Venezuela. Both teams have never even placed in the top three.
With six goals in 1963, Carlos Alberto Raffo became that tournament's top scorer and the only Ecuadorian to ever receive an individual award at a continental championship. In spite of Raffo's goals, however, Ecuador only placed sixth out of seven nations that year.
Ecuador fell victim to the highest defeat in tournament history when they were beaten 12–0 by Argentina in 1942. Ecuador's own highest victory was a 6–1 win against Venezuela in 1993.
Ecuador do not have a positive head-to-head record against any other CONMEBOL member at the tournament.
Álex Aguinaga's (here as team coach in 2015) international career spanned 17 years.
Álex Aguinaga took part in eight Copa América tournaments. The only other player with that number of tournaments is Uruguayan striker Ángel Romano, who competed in a time when the continental championship was held annually.