Having not featured again in the season, he was called up to the first team squad to train in October 2023, following his snub from the Ecuadorian under-17 team for the Under-17 World Cup.[4]
International career
Acurio was called up to the Ecuadorian under-17 side for the 2023 South American U-17 Championship. Having won their first game of the final hexagonal, a 3–1 win against Paraguay, Acurio stated that "it was important to start winning", and that the team were "all a family" and "very united".[5]
He was a surprise omission from the Ecuador squad for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup, with manager Diego Martínez stating that he had to "make some leaps" and "improve some things" before being in consideration for selection.[6] Moments after the squad list was announced, Acurio posted three emojis on his personal Instagram account; a laughing face, a facepalm and a clown, seemingly in response to being left out of the squad.[7]