Angelo Smit Preciado Quiñónez

Ángelo Preciado's early reputation was built on a moment that had nothing to do with football. During the 2018 Copa Libertadores Sub-20, he grabbed a corner flag to fend off River Plate Montevideo players in an on-pitch brawl.

By then he was already at Independiente del Valle, having come through the youth ranks at América de Quito before a brief spell with the reserve side Alianza Cotopaxi. He made his professional debut in July 2018 and stayed with the club until 2021, winning the Copa Sudamericana along the way. He moved to KRC Genk, where he added a Belgian Cup to his record. A further move brought him to Sparta Prague, where he won both the Czech First League and the Czech Cup in the 2023–24 season, before his transfer to Atlético Mineiro.

Preciado has built a parallel career with Ecuador's national team, earning more than 50 caps. He was part of the squad at the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he supplied an assist in the opening match of the tournament. He also featured at the 2024 Copa América and was named in the squad for the 2026 World Cup.