2026 World Cup: Ecuador Upsets Germany and Qualifies. Ivory Coast Advances
A dramatic turn of events on Matchday 3 of Group E at the 2026 World Cup: Ecuador bounced back from a shaky start to the tournament, staging a comeback to beat Germany 2-1 at the end of a heroic match and qualifying for the Round of 16 as the best third-place team. It was a painless defeat for the Germans, who had already qualified and finished in first place; the Ivory Coast also advances as the second-place finisher thanks to a 2-0 victory over Curaçao, which was eliminated.
Ecuador-Germany 2-1
2′ Sané (G), 9′ Angulo (E), 72′ Plata (E)
Back-and-forth action in the opening minutes, with Germany immediately taking a highly controversial lead through Sané: the Galatasaray forward scores off an assist from Wirtz, but the South Americans are furious over a previous foul by Pavlovic, who raises his leg and strikes Pedro Vite in the face. The referee misses it, and VAR reviews the play but does not intervene.
Beccacece’s team equalizes shortly afterward anyway thanks to Angulo, who beats Neuer in the 9th minute with a shot from the edge of the box. Ecuador, spurred on by the enthusiasm of the tens of thousands of fans who had traveled to New Jersey, played better against a very subdued Germany and came close to taking the lead on several occasions. The transformation of La Tri compared to their disappointing opening matches against Ivory Coast and Curaçao is complete; Valencia had a great chance early in the second half, but Neuer was up to the task.
In the 47th minute, referee Penso awarded Germany a penalty, which was later overturned by VAR due to a previous foul by Sané. Ecuador continued to dictate the play against a Germany side lacking ideas; in the 72nd minute, Plata nearly hit the crossbar with a split-legged shot following a pass from Rodriguez. The 2-1 goal was in the air and came in the 78th minute: following a corner kick, Plata deflected Rodriguez’s header with the tip of his toe to give the South Americans the long-awaited lead, catching an uncertain Neuer off guard. It was a nerve-wracking finish for Ecuador, as Germany refused to accept defeat and nearly equalized through Undav: La Tri held firm and sealed a historic night, with Beccacece rushing into the stands to embrace his family after the final whistle.
Curaçao–Ivory Coast 0–2
7′ Pepè (Ivory Coast), 64′ Pepè (Ivory Coast)
The Elephants dominated the match in Philadelphia; in the 7th minute, Pepè opened the scoring off a cross from Diomandé, following a colossal lapse by the islanders’ defense. Curaçao tried to respond but struggled to create any real danger; in contrast, the Africans came close to doubling their lead through Diallo and Diomandé.
In the second half, Ivory Coast made several attempts to seal the match once and for all, and the well-deserved second goal came in the 64th minute: Pepè once again beat Room on an assist from Sangaré. It was a matter of managing the game for the Ivory Coast, which finished by dominating and secured a well-deserved second-place finish in the group. A proud Curaçao bid farewell to the World Cup at the final whistle.
