Mural with Messi? Ecuador soccer player impressed by teammate’s depiction in KC
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- A mural of Willian Pacho and Lionel Messi was painted downtown Kansas City.
- Alan Franco said he hadn’t seen the mural because he stays off social media.
- Beccacece said the team always has respect for every opponent.
World Cup fever has swept Kansas City, with tourists and natives welcoming each team that plays in the “Paris of the Plains.”
KC is playing host to six matches. In the first, Lionel Messi had a hat trick for Argentina. Before the city’s next match, however — Ecuador vs. Curaçao on Saturday at Kansas City (Arrowhead) Stadium — Ecuador fans have taken over, at least for the time being.
Ecuador’s national team arrived in Kansas City on Friday, ahead of Saturday’s 7 p.m. game.
In the spirit of the World Cup, “Ecuador in KC” founder Paulina Tabares collaborated with Los Angeles artist MisterAlek to paint a mural of Ecuador star defender Willian Pacho and Argentina’s Messi.
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It can be seen on the side of Senorita Margarita, at 20th and Main Street downtown. Other sponsors, like Señorita Margarita owner Jasmine Thompson, helped with the project as well, according to Fox 4 KC.
Pacho is one of Ecuador’s star players. He also plays center-back for France Ligue 1’s Paris Saint-Germain. He is just the fourth Ecuadorian to win a European club competition, becoming a winner with PSG when they beat Inter Milan in last year’s UEFA Champions League final.
On the mural, Pacho, 24, is pictured next to Messi, who is widely considered the best soccer player of all-time.
When asked about the mural on Friday, Ecuador midfielder Alan Franco said he hadn’t seen it because he stays off social media. But he and manager Sebastián Beccacece made faces indicating they were impressed Pacho received such an honor.
The team knows the passion of its fanbase. Players and coaches alike appreciate how those fans spread the Ecuadorian spirit.
“I believe we have also shared the affection we hold — on a global level, in every location, in every unit and in everything we do,” Franco said through a translator Friday. “That love for one’s country, that love for the association.”
Ecuador was among the countries that booked the most travel arrangements to the Kansas City area. The team’s bright yellow dominated the stands in an opening 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast last Sunday.
Ecuador and Curacao are playing to not occupy the bottom of the Group E table; this match could be La Tri’s best chance for a win before facing Germany in a group-play finale.
The island nation’s “Blue Wave” team is coming off a 7-1 loss to the Germans. But Ecuador knows it must treat the smallest nation in the tournament like any other opponent.
“First, we’re not Germany. Second, as we’ve done over these years, we always have respect for the opponent,” Beccacece said. “Knowing what you’re up against doesn’t matter as much as the players themselves — what they resolve on the pitch, what they do, what they show both collectively and individually, and what they’ll surely implement to get the result.”
