Ecuador Shock Germany to Reach the Round of 32 Alongside Them

Ecuador booked their place in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after claiming a surprise 2-1 victory over Germany at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the venue set to host the tournament final on 19 July.

Although Germany had already secured qualification for the knockout stage and guaranteed top spot in Group E before the final round, they made a blistering start by opening the scoring in under two minutes.

The goal came from a well-worked move that began with a throw-in from David Raum. The ball was worked to Aleksandar Pavlović, who laid it off for Florian Wirtz before the midfielder slipped a pass through to Leroy Sané, who fired home with a powerful finish in the second minute. It became Germany’s second-fastest goal in FIFA World Cup history, behind Ernst Lehner’s strike against Austria in the 1934 tournament, which came after just one minute.

Ecuador, however, refused to be unsettled by the early setback and quickly regained their composure. Just seven minutes later, Nilson Angulo levelled the score with a powerful long-range effort that veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was unable to keep out.

The South Americans grew in confidence as the match progressed and increasingly took control, backed by overwhelming support from their fans, who outnumbered the German supporters inside the stadium. Germany, by contrast, lacked the sharpness that had characterized their first two group matches, despite creating several dangerous opportunities.

Sané missed a golden chance to restore Germany’s lead in the 76th minute when he found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper but struck his effort straight at him. Moments later, Moisés Caicedo came close to putting Ecuador ahead, only to see his close-range shot deflected behind for a corner.

The decisive goal came from that set piece. Substitute Kevin Rodríguez rose highest to meet the delivery with a header before Neuer could claim the ball, allowing Gonzalo Plata to convert from close range in the 78th minute and secure a famous victory that sent Ecuador through to the knockout stage.

The win lifted Ecuador to four points, enough to secure qualification as one of the eight best third-placed teams. It also gave La Tri sweet revenge for their 3-0 defeat to Germany during the group stage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Germany, meanwhile, were denied the chance to finish the group stage with a perfect record after hoping to register three consecutive victories for only the fourth time in their World Cup history. They also missed the opportunity to equal their longest winning streak, a run of 12 consecutive victories achieved by West Germany between 1979 and 1980.

In the other Group E fixture, Ivory Coast secured second place with a 2-0 victory over Curaçao, with both goals coming from Nicolas Pépé, ensuring the Elephants' place in the Round of 32.

The achievement marks a historic milestone for Ivory Coast, who progressed beyond the World Cup group stage for the first time after three previous appearances between 2006 and 2014.

As for Curaçao, the smallest nation by population ever to compete at a FIFA World Cup, with approximately 160,000 inhabitants, they concluded their historic debut with one point and exited the tournament at the bottom of the group. Despite their elimination, their maiden World Cup appearance will remain a landmark moment in the country's football history.