An international footballer has been shot and killed outside a shop in an 'attack' as his heartbroken football club have confirmed his death
10:19, 18 Dec 2025Updated 10:24, 18 Dec 2025
Mario Pineida
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Mario Pineida, 33, has died(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A Barcelona Sporting star has been shot and killed during an 'attack' outside a shop during a horror gun attack.
Mario Pineida, 33, was shot dead outside a shop in north Guayaquil, Ecuador, according to local media. And his club has confirmed his death with a statement: “Barcelona Sporting Club, informs, with deep regret, that it has been officially notified of the death of our player Mario Pineida.
"A fact that occurred after an attack against him. This unfortunate news makes all of us who are part of the institution deeply dismayed.” Ecuadorian police said they are investigating the attack.
Mario Pineida
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Mario Pineida was shot and killed outside of a shop(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Pineida had spent his entire professional in South America - starting out at Independiente del Valle, where he played for five years from 2010 to 2015.
He then moved to the club of the coastal city of Guayaquil in 2016 and won two league titles there.
The defender also had a brief spell at Fluminense in 2022 while making nine appearances for the Ecuadorian national team between 2014 and 2021 - making appearances in the Copa America.
Mario Pineida made nine appearances for his national team
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Mario Pineida made nine appearances for his national team(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
"All us Barcelona fans used to call you Don Pine Thank you for that dedication to the club; you left the national team to return once again to the team of your loves, BSC, although it wasn't the return you hoped for. We will all remember you as a warrior," one fan posted on social media.
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"It seems unreal to me and my heart hurts for everything that's happening in the world," a second said. And another added: "Another footballer murdered in Ecuador. The sixth in 2025. RIP."
Ecuador is expected to have its most violent year on record with more than 9,000 homicides, according to the Ecuadorian Observatory of Organized Crime.
President Daniel Noboa has pledged to fight criminal organisations that have expanded their operations in Ecuadorian territory in connection with international drug cartels.