A Barcelona Sporting player has been shot dead outside a store. Mario Pineida, 33, was shot and killed outside a store in northern Guayaquil, Ecuador, according to local reports. The club confirmed the tragic news in a statement: “It is with deep regret that the Barcelona Sporting Club informs us that we have been officially informed of the death of our player Mario Pineida.”
“What happened after the attack against him. This unfortunate news deeply disheartens all of us who are part of the facility.” Ecuadorian police confirmed they were investigating the incident.
Pineida has spent his entire professional career in South America, starting with a five-year stint with Independiente del Valle from 2010 to 2015.
He then joined the coastal city club of Guayaquil in 2016, where he won the league twice.
The defender had a brief stint at Fluminense in 2022, before earning nine caps for Ecuador from 2014 to 2021, including an appearance in the Copa America.
“All of us Barcelona fans used to call you ‘Don Paine’. Thank you for your dedication to the club. You left the national team to once again return to your beloved team, BSC, and even though it wasn’t the return you wanted, we all remember you as a warrior,” one of the supporters wrote on social media.
“It’s surreal for me and I’m heartbroken by everything that’s going on in the world,” said another source.
“Another soccer player murdered in Ecuador. 6th in 2025. Rest in peace,” one person said.
Ecuador is expected to experience its deadliest year ever, with more than 9,000 total murders expected to be recorded, according to a report from the Ecuador Organized Crime Monitoring Service.
In Guayaquil, 1,900 murders were recorded from January to September.
President Daniel Novoa has vowed to fight against criminal organizations linked to international drug cartels and expanding their operations in Ecuador.
