Willian Pacho made history for Paris Saint-Germain and Ecuador in 2026.

The centre-back won three trophies with Luis Enrique’s PSG over the course of the year: the club’s 14th Ligue 1 title, which secured his place in the Team of the Year, the UEFA Super Cup and, of course, the second Champions League title in the club’s history – just one year after winning their first.

Winning the Champions League also made Pacho the first Ecuadorian player to lift the competition’s trophy.

As a result, he became only the fourth player from his country to win a UEFA competition. And he is the only one of the four to have won more than one competition.

Ecuadorian players who have won a UEFA competition (in chronological order):

  • Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) – Europa League, 2016–17

  • Pervis Estupiñán (Villarreal) – Europa League, 2020–21

  • Moisés Caicedo (Chelsea) – Conference League, 2024–25

  • Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain) – Champions League, 2024–25 and 2025–26 / UEFA Super Cup, 2025 and 2026

In PSG’s victory over Aston Villa in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, Pacho became the first player in ten years to attempt 50 or more passes in a match in the competition and complete 100 per cent of them, successfully completing all 70 he attempted. The last player to achieve this feat was the Portuguese centre-back Daniel Carriço, playing for Sevilla against Real Madrid (in 2016), when he completed all 60 of the passes he attempted.

2026 also marked Pacho’s first appearance at a World Cup for Ecuador. The centre-back started in all four of the national team’s matches and played the full 90 minutes in every game.

One of the highlights was the historic victory over Germany, four-time champions of the tournament, in the group stage. In that match, Pacho recorded more defensive actions than any other player on the pitch, with 13.

In recognition of his season for both club and country, the centre-back was nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or – only the second Ecuadorian player in history to receive this honour and the first in 20 years, following Édison Méndez (in 2006).