Iván Jacinto Hurtado Angulo (born 16 August 1974) is an Ecuadorian politician and former professional footballer who played as a centre back.

With 168 international appearances for Ecuador between 1992 and 2014, he is considered one of the best Ecuadorian players of all time[3] and was the most capped South American male footballer until Lionel Messi overtook him during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

[5] After a mostly successful spell with Pachuca in Primera División de México, he moved on to Al Arabi in the Qatari League, impressing many over there.

After the FIFA World Cup in Germany, where Hurtado shone, it was reported that high-profile clubs such as English Premier League's Wigan Athletic, and Spanish La Liga's Recreativo Huelva and Villarreal were highly interested in him.

However, none of these rumors were accurate, and after spending six more months with Al Arabi, Hurtado moved to Colombia where he played for Atlético Nacional, he led the defence of the team, becoming captain in the back-to-back titles in 2007.

[8][9] He had such an impressive tournament, that he was appointed to succeed former Ecuadorian star Alex Aguinaga to be the captain of a new generation of an ever-improving Ecuador side.

His defence left stars such as Polish forward Jacek Krzynowek, Costa Rican striker Paulo Wanchope, and English players Wayne Rooney, Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard desperate for goals.

[10] Upon making his 143rd international appearance on 10 September 2007 in a friendly against El Salvador, Hurtado became the most-capped South American footballer of all time, surpassing Cafu's record of 142 caps for Brazil.