Plata is expected to start for Ecuador against Costa do Marfim on Sunday at 20h in Filadélfia, a sharp turn for a player who was left out of a Corinthians match on March 22 because of integration problems. What once looked like a setback at Flamengo now ends with him heading into his second World Cup as a starter.
That is why Plata is being searched now. He is not just going to the tournament; he is arriving with momentum after good performances against Marrocos and Holanda in the last international break before the World Cup, and after telling the national team that being there helps him forget everything outside his circle. For a player who was not even listed for that Corinthians match, the timing matters because Sunday could be the first real proof that the turnaround has held.
Flamengo punished Plata when he returned, and a frank conversation with Leonardo Jardim later gave him a new vote of confidence. Since that episode, he has been listed for every Flamengo match and has only not been used once. He started seven matches and came off the bench six times, with two goals and three assists in 23 games in 2026. That record is enough to explain why the club no longer intends to sell him at the present time, even if he once sat on a negotiable list after the early problems.
The friction in the story is that the same player who was once set aside for behavioral issues is now on course to open Ecuador’s World Cup campaign. Plata also played in the 2022 World Cup as a Valladolid player, making this his second trip to the tournament, while Erazo remains the only other Ecuadorian to have represented Flamengo at a World Cup, in 2014. Flamengo says it wants to keep its core, but it also knows transfer money can change the conversation if a strong offer arrives later.
For now, Sunday is the point that matters. Plata has moved from the edge of the squad to the center of Ecuador’s plan, and the match against Costa do Marfim will show whether the club and the player have truly reached the same place after a difficult start.
