Professional footballer shot dead in Ecuador
The footballer had complained on social media that neither he nor other first-team players were being paid their salaries.
BarcelonaBarcelona SC has confirmed the death of Mario Pineida (33 years old), a player for the Ecuadorian club, who was reportedly shot and killed in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Hours before his murder, Pineida had denounced on social media the club's failure to pay his salary and that of other first-team players since December 2024. In a joint statement, the squad affirmed that they continued playing out of "commitment, dedication, and absolute respect for the institution and for the club to rectify the situation." They also threatened not to appear for the next match. Initial reports from the Ecuadorian press also indicated that Pineida's wife was also killed, but the player's cousin denied the news in a video posted on social media.
The Ecuadorian full-back arrived at Barcelona SC in 2016, a club with which he won two league titles and reached two Copa Libertadores semifinals. During this time, he was loaned to Fluminense and El Nacional, where he played last season. According to data from the specialized website Transfermarkt, Pineida had played 224 matches for the Ecuadorian team, with a record of three goals and ten assists. The football world is in mourning, and several clubs, such as Real Madrid, among others, have expressed their condolences through messages on social media.