Tragic Loss: Ecuador Defender Mario Pineida Shot Dead at 33

Sat Dec 20 2025 10:51:29 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Mario Pineida, a former defender for the Ecuador national football team, was shot and killed in a violent incident in Guayaquil, highlighting the growing issues of gang violence in the region.

Mario Pineida, a 33-year-old Ecuadorian football player, was tragically killed in a shooting incident in Guayaquil. Local authorities have launched an investigation into the attack, which has drawn attention to the rising gang violence in the city. Pineida, who played for Barcelona SC and earned nine caps for the national team, is mourned by fans and the football community.

Ecuador defender Mario Pineida has died at the age of 33 after being shot in Guayaquil.

Local media reported that Pineida was shot on Wednesday by two people on motorbikes who opened fire on him, his mother, and another woman outside a shop in the north of the city.

Ecuador's interior ministry stated that it has sent a special police unit to investigate the incident.

Guayaquil has become a hotspot for gang violence and drug trafficking, recording 1,900 murders between January and September, marking the highest number in Ecuador.

This incident follows the tragic deaths of three second-tier footballers in September and a local player wounded in a shooting in October.

Pineida won nine caps for Ecuador between 2014 and 2021. He began his club career at Independiente DV before moving to Barcelona SC in Guayaquil in 2016, and also had loan spells at Fluminense and El Nacional.

Independiente and Fluminense paid tribute to Pineida on social media, while Barcelona SC expressed deep sadness over the news. The Ecuadorian Football Federation also condemned the violence and extended condolences to Pineida's family.