Willian Joel Pacho Tenorio

Pacho's rise runs through Independiente del Valle, the Ecuadorian academy where he progressed from the youth ranks before making his professional debut in November 2019. He won the Copa Sudamericana with the club that year and added the Ecuadorian Serie A title in 2021, establishing himself as a centre-back before European clubs came calling. A shoulder injury in 2021 kept him out for 123 days, but it did not derail his move abroad: Royal Antwerp signed him in January 2022, and he left Belgium with the Pro League and Belgian Cup double from the 2022–23 season.

A single season at Eintracht Frankfurt followed without silverware, but it set up the transfer that has defined his career since: Paris Saint-Germain paid an upfront fee of €40 million in August 2024, rising to €45 million with add-ons. At PSG the trophies have piled up quickly — back-to-back Ligue 1 titles, the Coupe de France, two Trophées des Champions, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup among them. The clearest mark of his impact came in the Champions League final, where PSG beat Inter Milan 5–0 to lift the 2024–25 title. He was also included in the FIFA Men's World 11 and the IFFHS Men's World Team for 2025.

For Ecuador, Pacho made his senior debut in March 2023 against Australia and scored in that same match, adding a second international goal against Costa Rica that June. He has since been named in Ecuador's squads for the World Cup and the Copa América.