¡Joel Ordóñez confiesa que jugó con LaTri en el Mundial 2026 con una fractura!

Joel Ordóñez, a través de una publicación en his social media, explained the injury he suffered before the 2026 World Cup and detailed how the pain worsened while defending Ecuador. The Ecuadorian defender said he received a strong stomp on May 17 while playing for Club Brugge, but decided to continue with his activity because his team was fighting for the Belgian title. Initially, Ordóñez felt a discomfort that did not prevent him from playing. After finishing the season with Club Brugge, he directly joined the Ecuador national team to prepare for the World Cup. The defender assured that the discomfort continued during the preparation, although at that time he did not imagine that it was a serious injury. As the training and matches progressed, the pain began to increase and the player acknowledged that he tried to endure it for fear of missing the World Cup. "Playing in a World Cup with Ecuador has always been one of the biggest dreams of my life," he wrote. Ordóñez narrated that the situation worsened after Ecuador's first match against Ivory Coast. Before the match against Germany, he had to resort to medication to control the pain and be able to play. After that commitment, the discomfort reached a critical point: "I finished (the match) with a lot of pain, even with difficulty walking." Despite this, the match against Mexico was ahead and Ordóñez explained that his priority was to be on the field to help Ecuador seek qualification. Before that match, he needed medication again, until there came a point when he could hardly support his foot. Subsequently, studies determined the seriousness of the injury. Once the problem was identified, Ordóñez spent a good part of his vacation using a boot and crutches in the intention of recovering quickly. However, he explained that his body needed more time and that now he would have to wait several months before completely returning to the fields. Club Brugge registers Ordóñez as part of its roster and states that the Ecuadorian is under contract with the club until 2029. The physical situation of the defender also had consequences in the transfer market. The Ecuadorian was on track to become the new player of Crystal Palace, but the transfer was not finalized after medical exams. Ordóñez, 22 years old, acknowledged that now he looks back and considers that he could have made some decisions differently, but he explained that "at that moment there was a dream above all: to play a World Cup for my country." Now, the defender assured that his goal is to recover properly: "I am going to work a lot to return stronger and enjoy again on the field."