Sociedad Deportiva Aucas (Spanish pronunciation: [sosjeˈðaððepoɾˈtiβaˈawkas]), also known as "Papá Aucas", is a football club based in Quito, Ecuador. They play in the top tier of Ecuadorian football and have spent the majority of their history in the top-flight Serie A. The team is amongst the most popular in the city because of its long history in the Serie A. The team also has a major rivalry in L.D.U. Quito, which they contest one of the most prestigious derbies in all of Ecuador, and the most prestigious in Quito.

In December 2025, Red&Gold Football, a joint venture between German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and American Major League Soccer (MLS) club Los Angeles FC, became partners with the club, forming a long-term commitment in order to identify and develop elite talent across the continent.

Overview

Aucas' 1945 Campeonato Amateur del Fútbol de Pichincha winning squad
Superclásico in Quito, 2005

The team is named after the Auca tribe, who are also called Huaorani. The club originally belonged to Royal Dutch Shell, which had been operating oil fields in the east of Ecuador where the Aucas live. The club's main uniforms colours, yellow and red, were taken from the colours used by Shell to market their products and services. The alternate uniform is grey, except for the commercial advertisements and numbers and names of players, which are red.

Players who have played for Aucas include Argentinian and nationalised Ecuadorian forward Ariel Graziani, forward Nicolás Asencio, forward Agustin Delgado, forward Édison Maldonado, Ecuador international defender Giovanny Espinoza, and the 1990 FIFA World Cup Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita.

Aucas won their first Serie A title in 2022 under the tenure of Venezuelan manager César Farías by winning the competition's second stage without losing a single game and then beating Barcelona in the finals. This win also qualified them to the 2023 Copa Libertadores, the first time they competed in the continental tournament.

Honours

National

Regional

  • Campeonato Amateur del Fútbol de Pichincha Winners (6): 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951
  • Campeonato Professional Interandino Winners (2): 1959, 1962
  • Segunda Categoría de Pichincha Winners (7): 1971, 1972, 1985, 1986, 2010, 2011, 2012

Performance in CONMEBOL competitions

2023: Group Stage 2024: First Qualifying Stage

2002: First Round 2004: Second Round 2016: First Round 2020: First Round 2021: Group Stage 2025: First Round

Players

Current squad

As of 11 April, 2026

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK ARG Iván Chaves (on loan from Patronato) 2 DF ARG Santiago Morales (on loan from Atlético Sarmiento) 3 DF ECU John Ontaneda 5 MF ECU Thiago Serpa 6 MF ARG Agostino Spina (on loan from Huracán) 7 FW BOL Bruno Miranda 10 FW ECU Ayrton Preciado 11 MF ECU Romario Bolaños 12 GK ECU Jefferson Cabezas 13 GK ECU Hamilton Piedra 14 MF COL Stiven Tapiero 16 DF ECU Luis GustavinoNo. Pos. Nation Player 18 MF ECU Andrés Mena 19 DF ECU Carlos Cuero 21 MF ECU Piero Guzman 28 MF ECU Ederson Quiñónez 29 FW ECU Luis Arroyo 31 DF ECU Byron Carabali 33 FW ECU Snayder Porozo 37 DF ECU Alex Zova 55 DF ECU Virgilio Olaya 57 FW ECU Maverick Vera 89 FW ARG Alexander Sosa 91 MF ECU Danny Luna 99 FW DOM Erick Japa
1GKARGIván Chaves (on loan from Patronato)
2DFARGSantiago Morales (on loan from Atlético Sarmiento)
3DFECUJohn Ontaneda
5MFECUThiago Serpa
6MFARGAgostino Spina (on loan from Huracán)
7FWBOLBruno Miranda
10FWECUAyrton Preciado
11MFECURomario Bolaños
12GKECUJefferson Cabezas
13GKECUHamilton Piedra
14MFCOLStiven Tapiero
16DFECULuis Gustavino
No.Pos.NationPlayer
18MFECUAndrés Mena
19DFECUCarlos Cuero
21MFECUPiero Guzman
28MFECUEderson Quiñónez
29FWECULuis Arroyo
31DFECUByron Carabali
33FWECUSnayder Porozo
37DFECUAlex Zova
55DFECUVirgilio Olaya
57FWECUMaverick Vera
89FWARGAlexander Sosa
91MFECUDanny Luna
99FWDOMErick Japa

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player — MF ECU Diego Espinoza (on loan to Deportivo Quito) — MF ECU Michael Carcelén (on loan to Querétaro)No. Pos. Nation Player — FW ECU Edison Gruezo (on loan to Querétaro) — FW ECU Cristhoper Zambrano (on loan to Al Taawoun)
—MFECUDiego Espinoza (on loan to Deportivo Quito)
—MFECUMichael Carcelén (on loan to Querétaro)
No.Pos.NationPlayer
—FWECUEdison Gruezo (on loan to Querétaro)
—FWECUCristhoper Zambrano (on loan to Al Taawoun)

World Cup players

The following players were chosen to represent their country at the FIFA World Cup while contracted to Aucas.

Managers

External links