Ecuatorian footballer Mario Pineida, 33 years old, has been murdered in Guayaquil, Ecuador's most populous city. Pineida was shot dead alongside his partner, and his mother was wounded, but she's "out of danger". Two people on bikes opened fire when Pineida, his girlfriend and his mother were leaving a meat store.
Pineida, 33, was born in the Ecuadorian town of Santo Domingo de Los Tsáchilas. He began his football career with Independiente del Valle, playing as a right or left defender between 2010 and 2015, and then joined Barcelona Sporting Club, in Guayaquil, in 2016, becoming one of their key players. He was set to appear on the last match of the year for Barcelona next Sunday.
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With Barcelona, he won two Ecuatorian leagues and reached two Libertadores semifinals. He had also made nine appearances for Ecuador's national team between 2015 and 2021. He also played for Brazilian club Fluminense as a loan in 2022.
The Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) expressed its "deepest sorrow" and condemned the gun violence plaguing Ecuador. Ecuador is the most violent country in Latin America, with one murder every hour, and Guayaquil is one of the most dangerous cities. This year, since September, five professional footballers have been murdered in Ecuador: Maicol Valencia, Leandro Yépez, Jonathan González, Miguel Nazareno and Mario Pineida.