Yaimar Medina
.jpg) Medina with Ecuador in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yaimar Abel Medina Ortiz | ||
| Date of birth | 5 November 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Eloy Alfaro Canton, Ecuador | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Genk | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2022 | Independiente del Valle | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2025 | Independiente del Valle | 48 | (6) |
| 2025– | Genk | 27 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023 | Ecuador U20 | 9 | (1) |
| 2024– | Ecuador U23 | 2 | (3) |
| 2024– | Ecuador | 7 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 9 August 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 16:16, 1 July 2026 (UTC) | |||
Yaimar Abel Medina Ortiz (born 5 November 2004) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Belgian Pro League club Genk and the Ecuador national team.
Club career
Medina came through the academy at Independiente del Valle.[1] He made his debut in the first team on 30 July 2022 against Barcelona S.C. in Ecuadorian Serie A.[2] He scored his first league goal on 2 June 2023 in Serie A, contributing to his team's 2–0 victory over S.D. Aucas.[3]
On 9 January 2025, Medina signed a 4.5-year contract with Genk in Belgium.[4]
International career
He was part of the Ecuador national under-20 football team that took part in the 2023 South American U-20 Championship in Colombia, in which his Ecuador side achieved fourth place, ensuring its qualification for the 2023 U-20 World Cup held in Argentina.[5][6]
On 27 December 2023, he was included by coach Miguel Bravo in the Ecuador national under-23 football team.[7] On his debut, he scored two goals against Colombia U23. He also scored again in his second match against Venezuela U20.[8][9]
Medina made his debut for the senior Ecuador national team on 6 September 2024 in a World Cup qualifier against Brazil at the Estádio Couto Pereira. He substituted Pervis Estupiñán in the 85th minute, Brazil won 1–0.[10]
On 31 May 2026, Medina was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[11]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 9 August 2026[12]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Independiente del Valle | 2022 | Serie A | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2024 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | — | 36 | 5 | |||
| Total | 48 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67 | 6 | ||
| Genk | 2024–25 | Belgian Pro League | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2025–26 | Belgian Pro League | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12[e] | 1 | — | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2026–27 | Belgian Pro League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | — | 40 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 75 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 107 | 7 | ||
- ↑ Include Copa Ecuador
- ↑ Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana
- 1 2 Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores
- ↑ Appearance(s) in Serie B
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
International
- As of match played 30 June 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 0 | |
Style of play
Medina has played on both flanks, both deeper as a wing-back and further forward in a more attacking position.[13]
Honours
- Independiente del Valle
References
- ↑ Vickery, Tim (23 January 2024). "Young stars shine as CONMEBOL Olympic qualifying kicks off". ESPN. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ "INDEPENDIENTE VALLE VS. BARCELONA 1 - 1". Soccerway. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ "Independiente del Valle won and puts the stage in its pocket". ESPN. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ "Ecuadorian international Yaimar Medina (20) signs with KRC Genk". Genk. 9 January 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
- ↑ Pasi, Serafin Unus (March 24, 2023). "Team Profile and List of Ecuador Players in the 2023 U-20 World Cup". Bola.net. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ Vickery, Tim (13 February 2023). "Brazil are South American U20 champions, but real winners will be known in a decade". ESPN. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ Campoverde, Brian (December 27, 2023). "OFFICIAL: Called from Ecuador for the 2024 Pre-Olympic". Studio Futbol. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ Larrea, Felipe (20 January 2024). "Scoring debut! Ecuador beats Colombia in the Pre-Olympic". Primicias.ec. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ "Video: Yaimar Medina's great free kick goal against Venezuela". Ole.com. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ "Brazil v Ecuador game report". ESPN. 6 September 2024.
- ↑ "Pacho and Caicedo headline Ecuador squad". 31 May 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ "Yaimer Medina at Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
- ↑ Teglaers, Jeroen (13 June 2023). "YAIMAR MEDINA (INDEPENDIENTE DEL VALLE) – SCOUT REPORT". Target Scouting. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
External links
- Yaimar Medina at Soccerway
 | ||
- 2004 births
- Living people
- People from Eloy Alfaro Canton
- Footballers from Esmeraldas Province
- Ecuadorian men's footballers
- Ecuador men's youth international footballers
- Ecuador men's international footballers
- 2026 FIFA World Cup players
- Men's association football midfielders
- Independiente del Valle footballers
- KRC Genk players
- Ecuadorian Serie A players
- Belgian Pro League players
- Copa Sudamericana–winning players
- Ecuadorian expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
- Ecuadorian expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
- 21st-century Ecuadorian sportsmen
- Ecuadorian football midfielder stubs