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Like Caicedo and Hincapié, he is the face of the new Ecuadorian generation
A nice surprise at the 2022 World Cup despite being eliminated in the first round with 4 points, Ecuador managed to get its head back on track with its Next Gen. This summer, La Tri reached the quarter-finals of the Copa América, coming up against an intractable Emiliano Martinez. After a 1-1 draw (Enner Valencia had missed a penalty during the match), Pacho and his teammates were eliminated by the defending champions Argentina on penalties. A tournament that nevertheless provided some reasons for hope.
With Willian Pancho (2001), Moisés Caicedo (2001), Piero Hincapié (2002), Kendry Páez (2007) and Jeremy Sarmiento (2002), it is certainly one of the finest generations in the history of the national team that is emerging. All of them, or almost all of them, have in common the fact that they were trained at Independiente dell Valle, a laboratory club in the country known for producing great talents. In 2020, Pacho’s generation won the Copa Libertadores U20, the equivalent of the Youth League in South America.
One of the best defenders in Belgium and Germany
Dislodged from Independiente dell valle in 2021 by Antwerp, Willian Pacho quickly formed one of the best hinges in the Championship with Toby Alderweireld, allowing the Antwerp club to achieve a historic Championship / Cup double. A rapid adaptation and a style of play that particularly marked Loïc Woos, independent journalist for Walfoot.be : “In recent years, he has been one of the very few defenders who was strong both defensively and with the ball. In Belgium, it is usually one or the other. But Pacho has an excellent reading and understanding of the game. He is very clean in his interventions, in the recovery, then has gained experience in Germany and in the national team. It is an excellent move.”.
The same story in Germany, where Dino Toppmöller made him one of his favorites upon his arrival. While the German coach sometimes changed systems, juggling between a 3-man and 4-man defense, Pacho immediately established himself as his team’s best defender. He only missed one game during the season: it was against Cologne in February, due to a suspension linked to a succession of yellow cards. It’s not for nothing that his name had been associated with big European fish like Liverpool in recent months.
He muzzled Harry Kane and Kingsley Coman
An untouchable starter in Dino Toppmöller’s starting eleven last year, Willian Pacho will remember this December 9, 2023 for a very long time. Lined up for the 14th day of the Bundesliga against Bayern Munich, the Ecuadorian defender had delivered one of his best performances of the season that day, muzzling Harry Kane, Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sané and contributing to his team’s crushing victory (5-1). A performance widely praised by the German press and in particular BILD : “He had to play left-back afterwards, but did a great job again. The whirling Coman gave him almost no respite, but no one was able to get the better of him. TOP”wrote the daily after the meeting.
He is among the most expensive defenders in the history of PSG.
€45 million including bonuses, that’s the price the capital club had to pay to secure Pacho’s services. A considerable amount – which has become a norm for a promising player in 2024 – and which naturally places the Ecuadorian among the most expensive defenders in the club’s history. He thus enters the TOP 5 of the biggest arrivals in this sector, behind Achraf Hakimi (€68 million), David Luiz (€49.5 million), and at the same level as Lucas Hernandez (€45 million). We also find in this ranking Thiago Silva, who arrived from AC Milan for €42 million in 2012, who occupies 5th position. As a reminder, Frankfurt had a good nose when it went to get Pacho from Antwerp for a little over €10 million a year ago.
A reliable player, almost never injured
At 22, Willian Pacho is in the prime of his life. Aside from a shoulder injury that kept him off the pitch for several months in 2021, the Ecuadorian defender remains a more than reliable player. Last season, he was the most used player by his coach Dino Toppmöller (3,939 minutes of play), even ahead of Kevin Trapp (3,825 minutes), the Eagles’ starting goalkeeper. A rare commodity in this sector of the game in Paris, where Presnel Kimpembe, Lucas Hernandez and Milan Skriniar have often been missing in recent months due to various injuries.
