Pineida, 33, was a full-back for Barcelona SC and had represented Ecuador in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifiers. He was not selected for the 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar. In 2022, he also played for Brazilian club Fluminense.
In a post on X, Barcelona SC said it “regrets to inform, with deep sorrow, that it has been officially notified of the death of our player Mario Pineida, an event that occurred following an attack against him” in Guayaquil.
Llegó en 2016. Hizo historia para siempre. 💛
— BARCELONA S.C. (@BarcelonaSC) December 18, 2025
2 títulos. 2 semifinales de Libertadores.
Con garra, entrega y amor por la amarilla.
Mario, se ganó ser parte eterna de la historia del Ídolo.
Por todo y más , te recordaremos siempre Marito pic.twitter.com/stLzxUkP2s
Local media reported that Pineida was attacked by two armed men riding motorcycles near a store. Gunfire hit him and the family members who were with him at the time. Reports said his mother was injured, while other accounts said his wife was also killed. Authorities are investigating the exact details.
The interior ministry confirmed Pineida’s death and said a special police unit has been assigned to investigate the case.
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The killing came just hours after Barcelona SC president Antonio Alvarez revealed in an open letter that one player had asked for special protection after receiving death threats. He did not name the player. The letter also criticized players who skipped training over unpaid wages, claiming four months of salary delays.
Pineida returned to Barcelona SC this year after a loan spell at Nacional. He had been with the club since 2016 after playing for ‘Independiente Del Valle’. He earned nine caps for Ecuador’s national team.
His death adds to a growing list of footballers killed in Ecuador in 2025. In November, 16-year-old ‘Miguel Nazareno’ was murdered in Guayaquil. In September, second-division players Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yepes were killed, while former top-flight player Jonathan González later died after being shot at his home.
Once seen as one of Latin America’s safest countries, Ecuador has become a key cocaine transit route between Colombia, Peru, and global markets. Guayaquil has seen a sharp rise in shootings, extortion, and car bombings, with 1,900 murders recorded between January and September, the highest number in the country.
