This is only the third meeting between the Netherlands and Ecuador, with the previous two coming in friendlies in March 2006 (1-0 win for Netherlands) and May 2014 (1-1 draw).
The Netherlands have lost just two of their 14 Fifa World Cup matches against South American opponents (W8 D4), losing the 1978 final against Argentina, and a quarterfinal meeting with Brazil in 1994.
Ecuador have won just two of their seven Fifa World Cup meetings with European sides (D1 L4), beating Croatia in 2002 and Poland in 2006.
Ecuador have kept a clean sheet in each of their last seven matches in all competitions (W3 D4), with Argentina's Julián Álvarez the last player to score against them back in March.
Netherlands have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four World Cup games, their longest ever run in the competition. The last nation to keep five in a row were Switzerland, between 2006 and 2010.
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Netherlands are unbeaten in their last 14 group stage games at the World Cup – only Germany (16 between 1990 and 2010) and Brazil* have had longer such unbeaten runs in the tournament. *Brazil are unbeaten in 15 group stage games ahead of this tournament, and could be 16 by the time Netherlands play again.
Ecuador are looking to win consecutive World Cup matches in the same edition for only the second time, previously winning their first two matches in 2006 to qualify for the knockout stages.
Enner Valencia has scored each of Ecuador's last five goals at the World Cup. In the history of the competition, only three players have ever scored six consecutive goals for a nation – Eusébio for Portugal in 1966, Paolo Rossi for Italy in 1982 and Oleg Salenko for Russia in 1994.
Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal has lost none of his eight World Cup matches in charge (W6 D2, excluding shootouts). Only Vittorio Pozzo (9 – W8 D1) has managed more games without ever losing in the competition.
With Davy Klaassen and Cody Gakpo scoring against Senegal, Netherlands had two different players score in their first World Cup appearance for the first time since Wim Jonk and Gaston Taument did so against Saudi Arabia in 1994. Memphis Depay (2014) is the only player to score in both of his first two World Cup games for Netherlands.