Ecuadorian footballer Mario Pineida, 33, was shot and killed in Guayaquil on Wednesday, his club Barcelona SC confirmed. Pineida, who played in Ecuador’s national team for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifiers and for Fluminense in 2022, was attacked along with his mother and another woman by two assailants on motorcycles.

The interior ministry has assigned a special police unit to investigate the case. Pineida’s death adds to a recent spate of violence targeting footballers in Ecuador, particularly in Guayaquil, a city struggling with gang activity linked to drug trafficking.

Guayaquil has recorded over 1,900 murders from January to September 2025, making it the deadliest city in Ecuador. Recent months saw three second-division players killed and another player, Bryan Angula, wounded in a separate shooting.

Barcelona SC expressed deep sorrow over Pineida’s death, mourning the loss of a talented player and former national team member.