- The Ecuadorian side finished top of their group in their first-ever appearance in the Group Stage and qualified for the Round of 16 of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
- In the knockout stage, they will face a Santos side featuring Neymar and Gabriel Barbosa.
The 'Celeste' put together a solid and convincing campaign, emphatically ticking off a milestone that had still been missing from the club’s history: competing in the Group Stage of an international tournament. Led by Uruguayan coach Guillermo Sanguinetti, Macará reached that stage after overcoming fellow Ecuadorian side Orense SC in the First Phase.
Once in the Group Stage, they quickly shed the label of newcomers and became one of the competition’s surprise packages. They opened with a draw against América de Cali before claiming two hugely important away victories: against Tigre in Argentina and against Alianza Atlético in Peru. From there, they drew their remaining three matches and kept clean sheets in two of them, sealing qualification at the iconic Pascual Guerrero against América de Cali.
Macará conceded just three goals in the Group Stage, making them the second-best defensive side in the competition behind São Paulo, who allowed only one. The 'Viejo y Querido' will now look to extend the best continental run in their history and defeat a Brazilian opponent for the first time. Their recent performances give them every reason to believe they can.
Macará in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Results and Schedule
First Phase: Orense SC 0-1 Macará (23' 2H Gastón Blanc)
Group A - Matchday 1: Macará 1-1 América de Cali (12' 1H Josen Escobar own goal / 24' 1H Daniel Valencia)
Group A - Matchday 2: Tigre 0-1 Macará (9' 2H Federico Paz)
Group A - Matchday 3: Alianza Atlético 0-2 Macará (4' 1H Franco Posse / 34' 1H Matías Miranda)
Group A - Matchday 4: Macará 2-2 Tigre (38' 1H Zenobio own goal / 30' 1H Franco Posse / 17' 1H and 6' 2H David Romero)
Group A - Matchday 5: Macará 0-0 Alianza Atlético
Group A - Matchday 6: América de Cali 0-0 Macará
Round of 16 - First Leg: Santos vs. Macará — Thursday, August 13, 7:00 p.m. (local time), Urbano Caldeira Stadium, São Paulo
Round of 16 - Second Leg: Macará vs. Santos — Wednesday, August 19, 7:00 p.m. (local time), La Nueva Olla Stadium, Asunción
Macará Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Guillermo Sanguinetti
The Uruguayan coach has been in charge of the Ecuadorian side for just over a year, but the mark he has made will undoubtedly be difficult to erase. The former defender has given his team the tools to believe in his approach and compete on equal terms regardless of the venue or the opposition.
He has strengthened the team’s spine around three Uruguayan players he knows well: goalkeeper Rodrigo Rodríguez, centre-back Santiago Etchebarne — who partners Ecuadorian captain and leader José Luis Marrufo — and goalscorer Franco Posse. The presence and balance provided by the experienced José Cazares allow Macará’s creative midfielders greater freedom to join the attack and exploit spaces in the opposition defence.
Full Macará Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana
Goalkeepers: 1. Rodrigo Rodriguez - 12. Darwin Cuero - 33. Julio Cardenas - 55. Marlon Quiñonez.
Defenders: 3. Juan Espinoza - 4. Jhon Jimenez - 11. Leonar Espinoza - 13. Luis Ayala - 14. Jose Marrufo - 21. Santiago Etchebarne - 25. Jimmy Bolaños - 26. Marlon Medranda.
Midfielders: 5. Jean Estacio - 10. Matias Miranda - 15. Martin Tello - 16. Jose Cazares - 20. Stefano Viera - 27. Jordan Mohor - 30. Tommy Chamba - 50. Carlos Caicedo.
Forwards: 7. Federico Paz - 9. Franco Posse - 19. Andres Ramos - 22. Luca Ferro - 28. Agustin Campana - 77. Jeison Chala - 87. Jose Klinger.
Macará Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Rodrigo Rodríguez
The Uruguayan goalkeeper has been the cornerstone of the 'Celeste’s' campaign. He kept four clean sheets in six Group Stage matches, in addition to another shutout in the First Phase. His performance in Cali against América ultimately cemented his bond with the Ambato supporters after the club’s historic qualification for the Round of 16.
Rodríguez also helped Macará record the longest unbeaten run in the club’s history in CONMEBOL competitions, going seven matches without defeat in 2026 — three wins and four draws. Their previous loss came on Matchday 1 of the 2021 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, a 2-0 defeat to Emelec.
Macará Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Franco Posse
Franco Posse offers more than the finishing ability of a traditional centre-forward. He also has the versatility to drop deeper, combine with teammates and attack space. He opened the scoring in the away win over Alianza Atlético and later equalised against Tigre when it seemed the Argentine side were on course to take all three points from their trip to Ecuador.
Sanguinetti has changed personnel when matches demanded it, but Posse has remained the constant reference point in attack. He is Macará’s main goalscoring threat and the player Santos will need to keep a close eye on in the Round of 16.
Macará Factor X in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Matías Miranda
The Argentine No. 10 is the creative spark in Macará’s midfield. On Matchday 2, he provided the assist for Federico Paz in the narrow victory over Tigre. In Peru, he then produced his best continental performance to date, scoring the second goal in the 2-0 win over Alianza Atlético.
He is given freedom to operate behind the centre-forward, reads space exceptionally well and poses a constant threat with his shooting from distance. Sanguinetti has also placed his trust in him consistently, with Miranda starting all six Group Stage matches.
Macará History in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana
Macará are competing in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana for the third time. On their two previous appearances, they were eliminated in the qualifying rounds: in 2019, in the Second Phase against Bolivia’s Royal Pari, and in 2021 against Emelec, a familiar opponent from domestic football.
The 'Ídolo Ambateño' are daring to dream. Reaching the Round of 16 is a reward for everything they have achieved so far, but the Ecuadorian side will not want to settle for that. Santos now stand in their way, the next obstacle to overcome if Macará are to extend their South American dream.
