Ecuadorian defender Mario Pineida has tragically died at the age of 33 after being shot in Guayaquil on Wednesday.

According to local media reports, Pineida was attacked alongside his mother and another woman by two individuals on motorbikes who opened fire on them outside a shop in the northern part of the city.

Ecuador’s Interior Ministry has responded to the incident, dispatching a specialized police unit to investigate the shooting. The unfortunate event underscores the escalating violence plaguing Guayaquil, which has become a major hub for gang activity and drug trafficking.

Between January and September of this year, Guayaquil recorded a staggering 1,900 murders – the highest number in Ecuador. This incident follows the killings of three second-tier footballers in September and a shooting that wounded a local player in October, highlighting the increasing risk faced by individuals within the football community.

Pineida earned nine caps for the Ecuadorian national team throughout his career, playing between 2014 and 2021. He began his professional journey at Independiente DV before a notable move to Barcelona SC in Guayaquil in 2016.

The defender also had loan spells with Fluminense and El Nacional. Following the news, both Independiente and Fluminense expressed their condolences through social media tributes. Barcelona SC released a statement saying, “this unfortunate news makes all of us who are part of this institution deeply dismayed.”

The Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) issued a statement condemning the violence and extending its deepest sympathies to Pineida’s family. “We deeply regret the death of Mario Pineida,” the FEF stated. “We send our condolences to his family, friends, and the entire Ecuadorian football community.”

Investigations are ongoing, and authorities are working to bring the perpetrators to justice amidst growing concerns about public safety in the region.

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