The story before a ball is kicked
Ivory Coast arrive in Group E as the underdog seed with 4 Premier League players in their squad. Ecuador share that group as the mid-tier seed with 1 PL regular.
The two meet directly in the group stage. The result is critical — Group E's order through R32 is decided across just three matchdays, and head-to-head between equally-ranked teams is the second tiebreaker after points.
The pre-match weight of evidence leans Ecuador's way narrowly. Below: a six-dimension head-to-head, the Premier League club distribution per squad, and the Onside verdict.
Build your XI for each side — share, save, replay
Tap eleven players for each nation. Pitch visualises your selections (4-3-3 schematic). Saved on this device so you can return to refine. Hit Share to post both XIs to X.
Showing Premier League names only — full 26-man squad lands when the football-data feed catches up.
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador — where each one wins
Each row scores the two teams 0–100 on a dimension. Longer bar = stronger. The colour-coded chip on the right names the winner of each axis.
Whose PL players are at the World Cup
If you own any of these clubs' assets in FPL, this matchup matters to your pre-season — tournament minutes here become Saturday minutes in August.
Where Ivory Coast's 4 PL players come from
For FPL managers: if you own any of these clubs' assets, Ivory Coast's tournament minutes shape your pre-season. Nott'm Forest leads with 1 player (25%).
Where Ecuador's 1 PL player comes from
For FPL managers: if you own any of these clubs' assets, Ecuador's tournament minutes shape your pre-season. Chelsea leads with 1 player (100%).
Edge to Ecuador · with confidence
- ·Ecuador sit #23 in the FIFA world ranking — 11 places clear of Ivory Coast.
- ·Historical confederation strength leans heavily Ecuador's way — every WC since 1934 has been won by a UEFA or CONMEBOL side.
| Axis | Ivory Coast | Ecuador | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form | 67 | 78 | ECU +11 |
| PL footprint | 18 | 5 | CIV +14 |
| Host edge | 0 | 0 | level |
| Group seed | 50 | 75 | ECU +25 |
| Confed | 60 | 95 | ECU +35 |
| Experience | 50 | 87 | ECU +37 |
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