JohnMercado ^#7

At the age of 18, young John moved from his hometown of Guayaquil to Curitiba, more than 4,000 kilometers away, to develop his potential at Brazil's Club Athletico Paranaense. He made his top-flight debut in June 2022 under the legendary Luiz Felipe Scolari. Mercado then had a spell on loan at second-division Centro Sportivo Alagoano before moving to Europe at the end of January 2023, specifically to Portuguese side UD Vilafranquense, and then to the newly formed AFS after six months. In its inaugural season, the club was promoted to the top flight, and in September 2024, John received his first call-up to the Ecuador senior national team. In August 2025, he moved to Letná.