Ecuador secured a place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after producing a spirited 2-1 comeback victory over Germany in their final Group E match on Thursday.
Germany, who had already qualified as group winners, made a flying start when Leroy Sane scored just two minutes into the contest. Ecuador, however, responded positively and found an equaliser through Nilson Angulo before Gonzalo Plata netted the winning goal in the 77th minute to seal a memorable victory.
The result saw Ecuador finish third in Group E with four points, enough to qualify for the round of 32 as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Despite the defeat, Germany remained top of the group, having already secured maximum points from their earlier victories over Ivory Coast and Curacao.
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In the other Group E fixture, Ivory Coast booked a place in the knockout rounds for the first time after defeating Curacao 2-0. Nicolas Pepe scored both goals to help the West Africans finish second in the standings, while Curacao ended their historic World Cup campaign at the bottom of the group with one point.
Elsewhere, the United States, already assured of first place in Group D, prepared to face Turkey with head coach Mauricio Pochettino expected to rotate his squad to avoid suspensions ahead of the knockout phase.
Australia and Paraguay also battled for second place in Group D, with both sides hoping to secure progression.
In Group F, the race for qualification remained wide open as the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden all entered their final group matches with hopes of finishing top. Tunisia, already eliminated, faced the Netherlands after suffering heavy defeats in their opening two matches.
Earlier in the tournament, Brazil wrapped up first place in Group C with a convincing 3-0 victory over Scotland, while co-hosts Mexico completed a perfect Group A campaign by beating the Czech Republic 3-0.
South Africa also celebrated a historic milestone by reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time after edging South Korea 1-0, sparking jubilant celebrations among fans across the country.
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